And if you don't know, now you know...

Still here :)

2011-12-12T14:46:00.000-08:00

Yeah, so it's been awhile since I blogged. I missed all of November. That's what happens when you move :) When I wasn't at work, I was working on the house. I bought an area rug for the living room, painted my bedroom (with my dad's help), got the bedroom recarpeted, finally moved out of my guest bedroom and into my bedroom, emptied my storage unit (saving money, woo hoo!), started setting up my basement (office area and entertainment area), gave my outdated blue-tiled bathroom a "spa" makeover (thanks to Dollar Tree and Target), and bought a lot of little random things that I didn't know I needed until I needed them :)

I had decided early on that I wouldn't even bother having a housewarming party until after the holidays, because this time of year gets a little crazy. But some people just couldn't wait... so I've had a lot of visitors over the past few weeks: Becky & John, Erin, Natalie & Gabe, Kyle, Doug & Jill, Tammy & Mark (who also helped me move things out of my storage unit!), Maria, Kaitlyn, and Miriam. Yesterday Sam and her dad got to see the house. I had asked Deacon Warner a few weeks ago if he would come bless my new home, and of course he said yes (first house blessing for him!).

My house is finally starting to feel like a home!

Autumn List!

2011-10-26T10:50:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, I decided that Wednesdays should be the day for lists. I had a list all planned out for last week, but then some other things happened... my niece, Camryn Eve, came into the world last Wednesday October 19th at 2:24 PM.... one day before her due date, which was also my settlement date. So on Wednesday I became an aunt and on Thursday I became a homeowner! What a week!

Things are a little crazy right now. I have things at my apartment, things at my house, movers coming this weekend. I'm amazed that I actually know what day it is right now! So I'm using last week's list for this week... and it celebrates my favorite things about autumn. Feel free to add your own items in the comments :)

FabulousFall

Gingersnaps/spiced wafers (I just recently discoveredthat they are NOT the same thing)

Horror movies (the cheesy ones and the seriouslyspooky ones)

Candy corn

HOCKEY!!!

Anything pumpkin flavored (bread, coffee, muffins,pancakes)

Fall leaves… oh, the colors!

The crunching sound the leaves make under your feet

The crisp, cool bite of autumn air

Brilliant blue skies

Scarecrows, mums, and pumpkins on the front lawn

Hayrides

Pumpkin picking

Wearing warm sweaters, funky scarves, and cute boots!

My birthday :)

Honeycrisp apples

Hot drinks: cocoa, tea, cider, mulled wine

Carving jack o’lanterns

Trips to New Hope and Peddlers' Village for window shopping and lovely fall scenery

Bonfires

Homemade soups and stews

Wednesday's List

2011-10-12T08:24:00.000-07:00

By accident, I stumbled upon a blog that was written by people who are probably my soulmates. It's called Listmaker Collective. (Can you see the attraction?? It's like internet kismet!) Sadly, the last post was from December of 2009... so it's no longer an active site.

I was inspired by the idea of making random lists for different categories (because you know how much I love my lists), so I decided to make Wednesday my List Making Day. Today's list is...

Things I Do To Distract Myself From Things That Are Bothering Me

go on Facebook
text someone
listen to music
clean things (usually something very involved, like the kitchen or bathroom)
organize something (I feel like organizing physical items compensates for not being able to organize emotions)
exercise
watch mindless TV (thank goodness for DVR)
make lists
go shopping
start a project
call my mom
read a book
write in my journal
write a blog
play with my dog
bake
plan something big (party, outing, game night... something that requires me to invest my time and energy)
talk too much
rationalize a situation to the point of overthinking it (which is really only a temporary distraction)
watch a ridiculously cheesy chick flick
weed through clothes, magazines, books, beauty products to find things to throw away/donate (decluttering is always therapeutic)
go through old photo albums or scrapbooks
pray
surf the 'net for blogs and fun websites
go to clothing websites that I have bookmarked and pick out clothes I'd buy if I had more money and/or the ability to try them on
take deep, cleansing breaths (sometimes accompanied by a mantra of my choosing)

Random thoughts

2011-09-22T10:53:00.000-07:00

My dad has a Rubik's Cube on his Shelf of Awesomeness. (Remember the Rubik's Cube? I'm sure you do... but kids these days have such crappy toys that people seem to forget about the old standards... Etch a Sketch, Tinker Toys, stuff like that.)

When I was growing up, I was quite impatient (not much has changed... ha!), so I decided that the easiest way to "solve" the puzzle was to remove the colored stickers and put them in the "right" places. Little did I know that I pretty much ruined the Cube forevermore. Now it can only be a display item, and not a functioning toy. But I digress.

Anyway, it's 3 weeks into the school year now, and I had a hell of a time readjusting to my work schedule. Especially with CCD starting up at the same time. The first 2 weeks of September were a mess. I struggled to fall asleep at a reasonable time and as a result, I was exhausted all day. My diet took a nose dive because I didn't take the time to plan out my meals, and I wound up grabbing whatever was easy and quick. I'm pretty sure I gained back whatever weight I lost this summer.

You know when you first get a Rubik's Cube and all the sides are matching colors? Everything is perfectly balanced. (My inner-Libra loves that.) When the colors get all scrambled, it's a bitch to put back together. Usually you spend your time working on one side at a time. You get all the green squares together. And then you start working on the next color, orange. But in trying to get the orange pieces in order, the green gets all screwed up. That's what I feel like now. I spent so much time trying to get myself back on a good sleep schedule and getting into "work mode" that I let other things slide.

Anyway, the countdown to settlement has begun. It's less than a month away, and I have plans and calendars and lists. Of course I have lists. My lists have lists.

Someone needs to stop me before I start color coding items with my Crayola markers. (Seriously.) But it makes sense that I'm approaching it this way. I've always been a visual learner.

I want my house to look like this!

Speaking of which... a friend and co-worker often talks about visualizing what you want for yourself. I've been picturing myself in my new house for the past few weeks now. I see it fully furnished and tastefully decorated. I see myself cooking in the kitchen and I see my family and friends using the basement and sunroom for parties. I see the front of the house decorated for autumn, with a garland of colorful leaves, pots of chrysanthemums, a scarecrow. My little red Hyundai parked in the driveway. A big comfy chocolate brown couch in the living room.

Soon enough :)

Rain on my parade.

2011-09-15T11:14:00.000-07:00

This post stems from a comment I made on Facebook a few days ago. It started as a joke, but wound up raising an interesting discussion:

"So Facebook friends... tell me why it's socially acceptable for a woman to have a bridal shower and a baby shower, but not a housewarming shower? Why can't I register for the fun gifts, too?"

Here's the deal: I'm 33, single and childless. (I swear this isn't a pity party... I'm going somewhere with this!) Over the past 15 years or so, I've been buying shower gifts for friends and family who got married or had children. Those gifts were usually chosen from a registry - so not only does a woman get gifts, but she gets to pick everything out herself! A mommy-to-be or bride-to-be makes a list of what she wants and/or needs, walks around the store with a little zapper gun, selects the style and color and quantity, and then people go out and buy exactly what she wants. It's genius.

I certainly don't begrudge a mom-to-be this rite of passage. It's not like they have cribs and diapers and bottles laying around from their college dorm days. And new mommies get hand-me-downs, but not that's not always practical. Safety requirements change from year to year, so a new car seat is necessary. And not everyone wants a used bib that's been drooled on or a used board book with teeth marks.

So new moms and baby registries are excluded from my rant. But let's talk about these brides.

It used to be that a woman lived with her parents until she got married. She went into her new home with literally nothing but her clothes. So a shower was a great way to stock her home with all the appliances, tools and gadgets that she would need in her new life.

Things are a little different now. Most women go to college and live in a dorm, and then move into an apartment from there. Many couples live together before getting married. These people already have a coffee maker, dishes, wine glasses, pots and pans. They don't need a shower, right?

Wrong.

A lot of brides tend to get a little greedy and see this as an opportunity to get newer and better stuff. "Someone else is paying for it? Well then... I'll ask for a shiny new Keurig coffee maker! And I'll get rid of my old mixer and register for a new deluxe model in designer pink... and while I'm at it, I might as well replace my blender and food processor to match the mixer! And who needs round waffles when I can make waffles shaped like Mickey Mouse?!"

The list goes on and on, and the items sometimes border on ridiculous. They can't think of anything else they actually NEED, so they pad the registry with things they think they want: quesadilla maker, ice cream maker, s'mores maker... things they would never buy with their own money and will probably never use. (By the way, if you're looking for a good laugh, check out one of my favorite blogs, Unclutterer, and scroll through their weekly Unitasker Wednesday posts. Pure gold.)

So where am I going with all of this? Back to my original point. I've never been married or pregnant, so I've never had a gift shower. In a month, I'll be moving into my first home alone. I have some stuff, but there are other things I want and need. I'm paying a crapload of money for inspection, deposit, down payment, etc... and on top of that, there's a carpet I need to replace... and then there's the dining room set I'll eventually need (so I'll have someplace to eat). My Ikea loveseat is functional, but hardly ideal. I chose it because it was flatpacked, able to be delivered to my 2nd floor apartment, and priced for my budget at the time. I'd love a REAL sofa... comfy and cushioned and good for napping.

I have a lot to take care of before I'll be able to afford some of the bigger things. And my priority list doesn't even begin to include the fun stuff. The little decorative touches that will make it my home.

So why is it considered inappropriate, tacky, socially unacceptable to have a housewarming shower? First time homebuyers are just as needy as new moms... and in some cases, they have less stuff than a bride-to-be who has been living with her fiance for years.

When I posed the question on Facebook, I expected to be met with opposition. Surprisingly, most of the people who contributed to the original discussion thought it wasn't at all tacky for me to create a registry... as long as a friend or family member distributed it for me. (Otherwise it just looks greedy.) People told me that some stores actually have housewarming registries in their computer systems.

I have no intention of creating a registry. I feel like it would be telling people that I expect gifts when I move. Plus, most of what I need is either huge (sofa, dining room set, carpet) or petty (plunger, dish drain rack, bucket for cleaning). But there are times (namely when I look at my massive "to do" list) that I wish I could just make a list and hand it out to people. Sometimes it seems grossly unfair that I have to be engaged or knocked up in order to do it. What if I never get married? What if I decide not to have children? What if this is the ONLY major life event that I have? Don't I deserve a chance to go to Pier One and play with the zap gun?

Sigh.

(By the way, I found this article online while I was writing this. It pretty much sums up the entire discussion!)

Movin' on up.

2011-09-08T10:05:00.000-07:00

Elated!

Thrilled!

Joyous!

Ecstatic!

Just a few words to describe how I'll be feeling for the next few months :)

There comes a moment in everyone's life (or at least I hope there does) when all the hard work you've been doing FINALLY pays off. When I registered for grad school 6 years ago, I had no idea where it would take me. Now I can see the end result and it was totally worth it. I left my old teaching job at the Catholic school (a bittersweet, but necessary step) and got an amazing new job with the School District. Not only did my salary increase, but I met an entire network of co-workers who are supportive, friendly, and fun. This past summer, when the district threatened to lay off many of its employees, my co-workers offered a constant stream of reassurance and good wishes. Luckily, I made it past that hurdle and was able to keep the job that I love. Which in turn led to the house hunt... which led to me making an offer... which was ACCEPTED!!!

In less than two months, I will be a home owner. I feel like such a grown up :)

The home inspection was last Friday and aside from one minor plumbing issue, all was well. I'm already planning ahead by looking at colors for carpet and paint and finding furniture I like online. I've been mentally decorating inside AND out... I know I won't be able to afford everything I want right at the beginning, but I'll add a little at a time until the house is truly my home. There's no rush.

In less than two months, I will also be an aunt. This deserves another smile. Or two. :) :)

Doug and Jill are expecting a baby girl on October 20th... which also happens to be my settlement date! Talk about a great birthday present - a niece AND a house all in one week! I can't wait to welcome her into our family and spoil her rotten. With the new Mom & Dad's permission, of course. They will be awesome parents. It will be so exciting to watch them take on this new adventure.

Autumn has always been my favorite time of year (baseball playoffs, the beginning of hockey season, Halloween, cool crisp weather), but this year I have a lot of extra things to be thankful for. I am truly blessed!

Brave little toaster.

2011-08-30T09:12:00.000-07:00

When I announced that I was looking at houses, the reactions I got from friends and family were positive and supportive. But what I didn't expect was that people would comment on me buying a house "alone." None of the comments were negative or discouraging... but I was kind of surprised that people would even mention it. I heard things like, "I'm sure it's not easy to do this by yourself," or "I'm always amazed when a woman buys her own house." Is it really that brave of me to do this alone? Then again, most of my homeowner friends are married... and most of the single homeowners I know are men.

Well, I will say this: it's certainly not easy. I mean, home buying itself isn't an easy process. But doing it alone just plain sucks. Not just financially (because, OH BOY does it suck financially), but also emotionally. Aside from my realtor, I don't have anyone to offer an opinion about any of the houses. No one is walking around an empty home with me imagining where furniture will be and how the rooms will be used. I know that some people would consider that a huge plus - sometimes too many opinions make the decision more difficult. And there is definitely something empowering about knowing that this will be MY HOUSE and I did this with no help from anyone else. But sometimes it also feels a little lonely. It's definitely not how I pictured myself doing it... but if there's one thing I learned, it's that life usually doesn't go the way my 10 year old self thought it would go. If that was the case, I would have been married at 25, and live in a beautiful suburban development with a gazebo in the backyard (who actually uses those things?), with my handsome successful husband, a big fluffy golden retriever, and 2 adorable children (one boy and one girl, naturally).

But I digress.

So now I'm at the point where I found a house that I like. The rest is a waiting game. Put in an offer and wait to see if it's accepted. If it is, then I wait to get the house inspected and hope that nothing major is wrong with it. If the offer isn't accepted, I look at more houses. Or wait for more houses to go on the market. And then it starts all over again.

Well... maybe I'll get lucky. Never know.

House Hunter

2011-08-26T17:47:00.000-07:00

So if you don't know, I have officially started house hunting. When I met with the realtor for the first time, I informed him that he needed to give me the "House Buying for Dummies" version of Real Estate. Anything I know about house buying came from watching HGTV. After only 2 days of looking, I am already overwhelmed and confused.

A few observations about the process:

I have now walked through 10 houses. People are still living in 9 of them. It feels extremely awkward to walk around someone's home when they're not there... opening their kitchen cabinets, peeking into their closets, criticizing their taste in carpet color, wallpaper, or bathroom tile. And every house has its own smell. One house smelled like moth balls... another one REEKED of stale smoke. One house had 3 cats just rolling around the living room when we walked in. (This is why cats make for terrible home protection. They barely batted an eyelash when 2 complete strangers walked in. One even purred. Useless animals...)

I've been doing a lot of thinking about what's important to me in a house. I know that some things are purely cosmetic and can be easily changed. Do I want to buy something at the top of my price range just because everything is freshly painted and newly updated? It would be "move-in ready" and I wouldn't have to spend any extra time or money fixing an outdated bathroom with hideous pink tile or ripping off peeling, faded 1980s wallpaper. Or do I want to get a house that's a little cheaper, and then pay to have an older kitchen remodeled the way I like it? In the case of the smoker's house, I thought (and the realtor agreed) that they were asking too much for a house that needed a lot of updating... not to mention the carpet and wallpaper would have to go in order to get rid of the smoke. However, the location of the house is amazing. The neighborhood is quiet and well maintained, the back yard is lovely. Decisions, decisions.

What I need to do now is create a list of pros and cons and really decide where to draw the line. I hope this gets easier soon.

Livin' it up.

2011-08-03T09:14:00.000-07:00

I have 26 days of vacation left before I have to go back to the office.

Since I worked summer school for 5 weeks, August is the only time I have off. I spent the first two days of August being lazy. I slept late, I didn't shower until the afternoon, I watched way too much HGTV and spent way too much time on Facebook. I was starting to feel like one of those perpetually sad people in the depression meds commercials. You know... the ones who stay in bed til noon and wear sweatpants all day? Yeah.

I finally decided that I need to nip this in the bud. I can't spend my last 26 days of vacation moping around the apartment. And really, if you've seen one episode of House Hunters, you've seen them all. So I sat down and made some lists. (You know how much I love my lists!) One is a list of things I NEED to do. One is a list of things I WANT to do. And the last one is a list of things I already have planned. My goal is to fill my days with things to do.

I'll spare you the list of needs... but I will post my list of wants. And it comes with an invitation. If you know me, you know that I hate doing things by myself. I need to get better at doing that... and I'm sure I will... but for now, I wouldn't mind the company. So if there's anything on this list that you want to do with me, let me know. Call, text, email, comment, facebook, smoke signal, Morse code... whatever. Just get in touch with me and we'll make plans.

Find new Zumba class. (FYI, I LOVE my current Zumba class, but once the fall comes, I'll be teaching CCD on Tuesday nights. I need to find another class that I like on another night. I already have a list of places nearby, so I can start this anytime.)
Go to a farmers market. I'm not picky about which one.
Go to Peddler's Village. I've been there in the fall and winter, but never in the summer. I just like to walk around there.
Go to New Hope. I haven't been there in ages.
Go to my secret beach again. That's a day trip. It's an hour away and completely worth it.
Go to Wildwood. Even if it's just for the boardwalk. I need some butterfly chips and Mack's pizza.
Host a game night.
Get a mani-pedi.
Drive to Centralia (yes, really), with a pit stop in Pottsville (home of the Yuengling brewery).
Go to Longwood Gardens. I've been there in the spring, but they change flowers with the seasons, so I'd love to see it in the summer. (Bonus... there's a "Fireworks and Fountains" show on 8/13!)
Go to Philadelphia's Magic Gardens. I have ALWAYS wanted to go there, and it's right on South Street! (This outing should also include cheesesteaks at Jim's.)
Take my own walking tour of Historic Old City.
Do the walking tour offered by the Mural Arts Program.

I know I'm not going to get to do ALL of these things, but I'd like to hit a good percentage of them. Many of these are free or cost very little, and they're all day trips. Very easy to manage.

Join me on my quest to make the most of my summer vacation! Get in touch with me if you're interested in any of the above... or if you have other suggestions for me! :)

Face(palm)book.

2011-07-27T10:38:00.000-07:00

Facebook is a wonderful thing. When used properly. Of course, there are no real "rules" for how to use it, but there are things that I see every day that annoy the crap out of me. I'm sure I've been guilty of one or two of these things over the past few years, but some people are repeat offenders. They need their Facebook privileges revoked for a few weeks. Just to give them time to think about what they've done.

So anyway, what follows is a comprehensive list of things that annoy me about the people who use Facebook. Keep in mind that I don't have an actual problem with the people who do these things... most of them are friends of mine. In fact, if they read this, they will recognize themselves in one or more of these points. Also, I'm sure there are things that I do on Facebook that annoy other people. Like mentioning coffee every morning. And posting "Let's go Flyers!" every time a hockey game is on. And taking pictures of my beer when I go out to eat. And posting song lyrics that are meaningful to me, but probably no one else.

(Funny story... when I told two of my friends that I was working on the outline for this post, both of them were able to guess most of the points I had listed. That tells me that a: they know me really well and b: these things annoy other people, too!)

The List (without apology or explanation)

General Pet Peeves About the Status Message

People who have their child or pet as their profile picture. (Yeah, I started with that. I smell hate mail coming soon.)
Poor grammar, spelling, punctuation, writing in all caps
Anything that a middle/high school kid would post: WrITinG LIkE tHis, <<<<<<3, overuse of OMG LOL LMAO ROFL, and writing extra letters to make a point... OMGGGGGGG I loveeeeeee himmmmm...

Specific Types of Status Messages

The Vague Status: "I just don't know what to say anymore," "I can't believe it!" (This is a huge cry for attention and you know it.)
The Passive Aggressive: "Don't tell me how to live my life/raise my kid/do my job. If you don't like it, then shut the f*ck up!"
The Personal Message as Public Status: "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me!" "You're the reason I wake up every morning!" "I love you, shmoopie!" (If the intended recipient of this message is on Facebook, then post it directly to his/her wall. If this person is NOT on Facebook, then get off the damn computer and go tell them!)
The Daily Schedule: "Breakfast, errands, gym, cleaning the minivan, taking junior to sports event, and then family ice cream time!" "Time for shower and bed!"
The Specifics: "Doctor's appointment at 2 PM, then gym at 5!" "Working til 6, dinner, then bed before midnight!" (You're just making it easier for people to stalk you. Or rob your house.)
Messages to People Who Don't Have a Facebook Account: (And if I didn't piss people off before, this will surely do it...) "Happy 90th birthday, Grandmom!" "Happy 1st birthday little Mikayla! Mommy loves you!" "Merry Christmas, Uncle Ken! I know you're celebrating with us in heaven!" "I miss you every day, Great Aunt Tillie!" (My problem with this is mostly the wording. If you said something like, "I can't believe my baby is 1 already!" or "Thinking about my grandmom today. I know she's celebrating with us in spirit," then that's more acceptable. To me, anyway.)
Constant Negativity: "My life sucks," "I hate my job," "I never catch a break," "I can't believe this happened again," "Why does this always happen to me?" "Of course I didn't get the job/house/man... nothing ever works for me!" (If this happens more than once a week, it makes me want to delete you from my friend list.)
Everything's Zen: "Life is wonderful!" "I'm so blessed!" "My friends are my the best!" "The birds are chirping, the sun is shining, I'm in love and everyone should feel as glorious as I do RIGHT NOW!" (There's nothing wrong with being happy, but when you're constantly posting stuff like this, it makes me think you're trying to convince someone. Or convince yourself.)
Too Much Information About Your Child: "Junior pooped twice this morning, we're waiting on his third!" "Sally did the cutest thing today! She climbed into the chair with her babydoll and pretended to feed it a bottle! Could you DIE from the cuteness??" "Megan threw up 3 times last night and has a temperature of 102. Time for another trip to the ER." (And don't try to tell me that this only annoys me because I don't have my own children.)
Re-posters: "Copy and paste this if you love your daughter!" "Copy and paste this if you have a cousin that means the world to you!" "Copy and paste this if you hate disease, war, and famine!" "If you love your mom, put this as your status for the next hour!" (So if I DON'T repost this, does that mean I hate my mom?)

I'm sure I'm missing a few things. Feel free to comment and add your own. Or comment and tell me I'm a bitch. That would be fun, too :)

ZUMBA!!!

2011-07-26T14:38:00.000-07:00

When I first started my Confidence Goal in January, I didn't quite know where it would lead me. All I knew for sure is that I wanted to concentrate on stepping outside of my comfort zone in any way possible.

Two years ago, I made a resolution to exercise more. I remember writing that exercise had been "my Everest," because I just couldn't motivate myself to make it a regular part of my routine. The purchase of a wii got me up and moving a little more, and a walking game for the wii got me excited about exercising almost daily. I still couldn't quite take the next step to join a gym. I considered myself too out of shape for something like that. I wasn't comfortable moving and sweating in front of other people (who, in my head, were already skinny and toned and incredibly adept at all of the equipment and moves).

And then I started hearing people talk about Zumba. First it was a few co-workers, then some friends on Facebook. I started finding videos on youtube to see what it was all about and I was instantly intrigued. Then one day, a friend posted on Facebook saying that she wanted to lose weight, and I suggested Zumba. We found a class nearby, got a group together, and went for it.

I LOVED it. The music, the moves, the energy. Sure, the first class was rough. I was a little uncoordinated and I was dripping sweat when it was over. But I definitely liked it enough to go back and try it again. Since then, I've made it a weekly (and sometimes twice weekly) part of my routine.

The class is full of REAL women... thank goodness. They wear old t-shirts and messy ponytails and they sweat and they occasionally miss a step or two. Not like the ones you see in the ads and infomercials, with the cropped shirts and perfect abs and flawless movements:

I'm glad that I found something that I not only enjoy, but look forward to. I'm proud of my ability to stick with the entire hour without stopping (save for the occasional gulp of water from my ever present bottle, of course). Surprisingly, I have become completely comfortable with myself during the class. After the first week, I stopped worrying about how I looked because, let's face it, no one is looking at me - they're all too busy concentrating on their own moves.

Once autumn comes, I won't be able to attend my regular Tuesday class, since I'll be teaching CCD again this year. I guess I'll have to find a class on a different night... but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

I'll leave you with these videos from youtube. Just a little taste of what goes on in a Zumba class, in case you were thinking about trying it for yourself. Now if you'll excuse me... I need to go lace up my sneakers. I've got some booty shaking to do tonight :)

Short stories from summer school...

2011-07-19T12:49:00.000-07:00

A few short stories from the past 3 weeks of summer school, for your enjoyment.

Timothy is a 6 year old bilingual Vietnamese boy. He's very bright, but gets a little confused about the easy concepts, which might be because of the language barrier. One day in math class we were sorting buttons in different ways - by color, size, shape, number of holes, etc. I put the buttons in piles by size and asked Tim to tell me how they're sorted. "They're all the same shape." he said. "Good try, but no," I said. I turned to call on another boy, but Tim interrupted me. "I know!" he shouted. "They're all the same... shape!" Close, but no cigar, kid.

Robert is another 6 year old who has a little trouble sitting still. He was rocking in his chair (after I warned him not to) and fell out of it, landing on his rear end. "Are you okay?" I asked as he stood up. "I'm fine," he said, rubbing his bottom, "but I bumped my noggin."

Julio is one of my 7 year old boys. He's fluent in Spanish and working on his English. The things that come out of his mouth are funny... usually unintentionally, though.

Last week on a particularly hot day, one of the teachers bought ice pops for all the kids. (Those sugar filled frozen things in the plastic tubes... blech...) Julio was quite enamored with his treat, and expressed his love by saying, "Oh baby... if you could cook, I would marry you."

Earlier this week, he brought a lemonade juice box with his snack. He didn't want to finish the whole thing though... according to him, "Lemonade makes you peep a lot. All drinks do."

The wisdom of a 5 year old man.

2011-07-18T21:17:00.000-07:00

One of my summer school boys has the look of a man who has seen it all, twice. And for a 5 year old, that's saying a lot.

He tends to be dramatic in his speech... for example, we got a new student on the last day of the second week of summer school. I explained to the boys, "We'll have to teach Tim the math games we learned." Alex jumped out of his seat and said, "Yeah! Literally ALL the games!" (accompanied by an expressive, all-encompassing hand gesture that almost smacked another child in the eye).

And he's obsessed with the concept of infinity:

"It's so hot out today. It's like infinity degrees."

"How many pages are in this book?! It's like infinity pages!"

One day, Julio (who is 7 and bilingual) asked him what infinity actually means. Alex informed him that "it's the last number out of allllll the numbers in the world." I tried to tell him that infinity is just a word we use for a number we can't count, but it's not actually a number. Alex would have none of that, and went on to tell us what infinity would look like if you wrote it.

"Infinity is one zero zero zero zero zero..."

"No, honey, infinity isn't a number, it's a word," I said.

Alex continued, "... zero zero zero zero zero..."

"Al, you're still just telling me numbers."

"... zero zero zero zero zero zero..."

At this point, Timothy (6) interrupted him to explain that there IS no last number. "They just keep going!" he exclaimed.

"... zero zero ZERO ZERO ZERO ZERO..." (As if saying it louder would prove his point.)

Unfortunately, a conversation we had on only the 2nd day of summer school told me more than I wanted to know about his home life.

We were transitioning from one activity to another when he suddenly asked, "Miss Adrienne? How was your life when you were a kid?"

Only slightly taken aback, I replied, "It was good. Why? How's your life as a kid?"

He then launched into a story about his mom and dad. "They fight all the time. They don't love each other anymore. They need their own houses, because they can't stay together. They don't even come inside, they just drop us off at the house because they don't want to see each other."

This is always a difficult task as a teacher. I have to find the right thing to say without making it into a super emotional moment. Since Alex delivered this news matter-of-factly, I kept my response simple. "Wow... I'm sure that's not easy on you and your brother. But sometimes if people don't get along, it's better for them to be apart until they can work things out. It sounds like you and your brother are doing a good job of dealing with it, and right now that's all you can do."

He nodded sagely. "Yeah. Now I just have to live life. It's hard to live life."

(student names have been changed)

Wanderlust.

2011-07-14T12:08:00.000-07:00

I was driving to work this morning, and the highway was crowded and way more traffic-y than usual. I wanted to just take the nearest exit and make a break for it. It was way too nice of a day to be at work. The humidity had dropped, the sky was an absolutely gorgeous blue dotted with fluffy white clouds... it was the perfect day to play hooky and run for the beach (or pool or something similar). Unfortunately, with my summer job I only get paid if I show up. Such is life. Anyway, I was digging through my glove compartment looking for some tunes, and I found one of my old mix CDs called "Road Trip." Well, of course I had to pop it in :)

I made this CD about 10 years ago... but I gotta say, most of the music still holds up for me. Not every song is about driving and road trips. For some songs, it was more about the feel of the music. Does it make me want to roll down the windows and crank up the volume while I cruise the highway? Then it works for me.

Here's a tracklist of the CD, with links to the youtube videos for reference... in case you don't know a song. I'd love to remake this (some of the songs are poor quality, and there are one or two I want to drop), so if you can think of something to add, feel free to make a suggestion!

Drive (R.E.M.) - This one stays. For obvious reasons.
Learning to Fly (Pink Floyd) - I've always felt like this was a perfect song for just taking off on a spur of the moment trip.
Jane Says (Jane's Addiction) - This one has nothing to do with driving. Or road trips. There's just something about the song that feels like it belongs here.
Walk This World (Heather Nova) - I adore this song. And it fits in with the theme. A definite keeper.
Low (Cracker) - Much like #3, this is not about driving, but it still works.
Tempted (Squeeze) - A definite road trip staple. (And this scene from "Reality Bites" makes it even more perfect!)
One Headlight (Wallflowers) - Not only do they sing about driving, but there's a steady, driving beat to this song that makes it perfect for this CD. (Bonus... Jakob Dylan is HOT.)
Take a Picture (Filter) - This one is all about the beat. It's a keeper.
Something About You (Level 42) - Another one I chose for the feel. This is a personal favorite of mine and reminds me of someone I used to go road-tripping with.
Everlong (Foo Fighters) - Okay, so I guess there's an entire block of songs that I just chose for the feel of the music. This one is another keeper. It makes me wanna hit the gas pedal and fly.
Where the Streets Have No Name (U2) - Self explanatory. It's all about the journey, baby.
One (Creed) - I have no idea why. It's definitely getting cut.
Machinehead (Bush) - I don't know what this song is about. But it's got the right sound for driving fast, so it's a keeper. Plus there's fast driving in the video :)
Are You Gonna Go My Way (Lenny Kravitz) - I really want to like this song on here. But everytime I listen to the CD, I hit the skip button. I don't know why. I think it might get cut.
Rearviewmirror (Pearl Jam) - Yes. Hell yes. This is such a kickass song. Vrooooooom.
Babylon (David Gray) - Another song that fits with the theme... but I just don't find myself loving it like I used to. It might get cut. Maybe.

So that's the CD. Like I said, I want to revamp it a little... maybe move a few songs around, cut the ones that don't work for me, and add a few new ones. I'm very open to song suggestions. The comments are open... go use them!

Beeeeeeach. (Shhh...it's a secret.)

2011-07-12T14:28:00.000-07:00

I have a secret beach. I refuse to reveal the name, but if you figure it out, more power to you. Just keep it to yourself, please.

I discovered this beach last summer when I was looking for a quiet place to go for a solo vacation. A co-worker recommended this place... it's a quiet little beach town, about 1 hour from me. No commercial boardwalk, no rides or waterparks, no tram cars or fudgie wudgie carts. Now don't get me wrong. I used to love the Wildwood scene. When we were kids, my parents would take me and Doug there for vacation. We loved the lights and the funnel cake and the Mac's pizza and the arcades. And then (many years later), it was a great place to go with friends... cram into one crappy little motel room and drink all night. Followed by a $3 boardwalk breakfast, of course :)

So back to my secret beach. After my vacation last year, I decided that this beach was THE perfect place for a day trip. It's a pay beach, but it's worth the $8. Especially since it's a 1 hour drive and it's nowhere near the traffic of the other beaches. Last Friday the weather was incredible. I NEEDED the beach. It called to me. So I went for the day. And it was perfect. I took Joe with me, but I told him that if he told anyone where it is, I'd have to kill him. So far, he hasn't talked. :) Well, words don't do it justice... I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the story.

It's a beautiful place. I think I'll need to go again. And soon. Like maybe this Friday ;-)

Summertime!

2011-07-11T14:23:00.000-07:00

I neglected my blog for awhile... for various reasons, I guess. To sum up, I got in sort of a funk (regarding the possibility of a layoff, among other things) and then pulled myself out of it. I spent the first 2 weeks in June doing the usual end-of-year activities at my schools (wrapping up some loose ends, helping teachers with June exams, attending a variety of luncheons and retirement parties). The week after school ended, I went to a 4 day professional development workshop... and then the week after that, I started teaching a 5 week summer school program. So I haven't actually had a summer vacation yet :)

My summer school schedule is pretty sweet. I work Monday-Thursday from 9 AM - 12 PM. I have Fridays off. Not too shabby! Even though I haven't had a summer vacation, I've definitely been enjoying my extra free time. One thing I've been able to do is take in some shows at our local theaters.

At the end of June, I went with a group of friends to see "Next to Normal" at the Academy of Music...

The Academy of Music

I wasn't very familiar with the show before I saw it, but I enjoyed it very much. It was funny and touching all at the same time, and the music was catchy and well written. I found myself still humming the songs a week after I saw it. I'd like to get my hands on the soundtrack soon.

This past weekend, I was fortunate enough to get FREE tickets to see "Miss Saigon" at the Walnut Street Theater...

Dorky pose with a theater poster!

This is a show I've wanted to see for years, so I was thrilled to get a chance to go! My friend gave me 2 tickets, so I asked Joe if he wanted to go with me (and of course he did... who turns down free theater tickets??). I was so excited for the show that I spent the days beforehand posting videos of the songs on Facebook. Our seats were great, the show was awesome, and a good time was had by all.

Hopefully over the next month and a half, I'll have more fun outings to share with you... because I intend to make the most of my time off this summer!

Summer School Stories, part I

2011-07-10T19:01:00.000-07:00

When I was a classroom teacher, I found myself grabbing for scrap paper every time one of my first graders said something funny. It happened so often that I finally started carrying a notebook to record the things they said. Teaching summer school reminds me how much I miss interacting with kids on a daily basis. After the first day, I started keeping paper nearby to write down what some of my boys say.

A quick background: I have a combined kindergarten-1st grade class. So far I have 5 students total, all boys. I have 7 on my roster, but 3 never showed up, and then 1 who wasn't on the original list started at the end of the second week. It's like a complicated math problem.

So for the next 3 weeks I'll be occasionally blogging about some of the things my boys say... starting with my notes from the last 2 weeks :)

Each week has a theme for reading... the theme for week 2 was "Pets." As part of a writing activity, one of my kindergarteners wrote the following:

"My pet ets pnus."

Translation: "My pet eats peanuts." But that's definitely NOT what it looks like. Time to work on stretching a word to hear ALLLL the sounds! :)

Also in week 2... we had a discussion about pets, where we went around the table and told about a pet we have. If a student didn't have a pet, he told what pet he would like to have. I got to the last child, who said, "I have 2 rats under my bed."

"Are they your pets?" I asked.

"No."

"Where did they come from?" (And I kinda didn't want to know the answer...)

"Oh, because we eat upstairs in the bedroom."

I really, really hope that was just a story he made up.

the unknown.

2011-05-26T16:07:00.000-07:00

I realize that all of you are under a huge amount of stress related to the Reduction In Force (RIF). The Executive Team and Human Resources are working as quickly as we can to give all of you some information regarding your position. The week of June 6 we will begin to notify departments and employees of their positions. This notification process will continue until the beginning of September for some of you, depending on the need of your services. We do not take this process lightly and are reviewing positions to ensure we have made the right decision for the District. I will continue to update you as we move forward.

What you just read is an email from the school district sent to all employees. What does this mean to me? Well, I was only recently hired in September 2009, so I have less than 2 years in the district. A ridiculous amount of debt has made it necessary for the district to cut back. Right now the tentative plan is to cut kindergarten from full day to half day, cut bus service, cut "unnecessary" positions, and lay off some employees. And when it comes to layoffs, they're going to start at the bottom. Which means my job is in danger.

According to this email, I might find out as early as the beginning of June. Or I might be frantically checking my mail every freaking day from June 6th until September, praying to the patron saint of employment that I don't receive any bad news from the district.

This means I won't be going on vacation this summer. It means I'll have to put a hold on my plans to start looking for my first house. It means I've been working on revising my resume and portfolio, and I'm back to checking other school districts for openings, just in case.

I hate it... the uncertainty and the fact that no one is able to give me a straight answer about anything. I'm new to the politics of the school district, and I'm not even sure I understand how all this works. But what I do know is that it all just plain sucks.

Of course, I could be jumping the gun. Maybe there will be some sort of miracle at the last minute and money will come through. I could be worrying for nothing. But either way, I need to have a back up plan. Just in case.

Monday.

2011-05-16T17:33:00.000-07:00

Most people dread Mondays. It's that whole "back to work" thing that gives Monday a bad name. But this week, I was looking forward to getting back to a normal routine.

I foolishly (?) started my weekend on Thursday night - karaoke at the bar with a very fun group of people. I drank too much and stayed out too late, resulting in a groggy, hungover Friday morning. Then I went out and did it again on Saturday night. My poor body can't handle this kind of schedule anymore. I was cranky, sore, and tired from not sleeping well. I had no appetite Sunday morning... and when I finally ate, it was bowling alley pizza and a glass of soda (which I almost never drink). Then last night I decided that I was going to be healthy. I had a green salad with grilled chicken for dinner, followed by a homemade fruit salad for dessert (strawberries, blueberries, kiwi). I packed today's breakfast (oatmeal with dried fruit, a banana) and lunch (green salad with grilled chicken, 60 calorie pudding, raspberries). And by the afternoon, my stomach was upset. Perhaps the sudden change in diet had an effect on me.

Or maybe it's stress. I've got a lot of my mind right now. I don't know if I'll have a job next year. There are budget cuts and layoffs happening in the district... and unfortunately, my job might be at risk. The school where I used to teach (for 8 years) is closing its doors in a few weeks, and this weekend is the closing Mass. A few days ago, someone asked me when my summer break was. I said, "June 17th, but then I'm attending a week-long workshop and then I'm teaching summer school for 5 weeks." He responded, "Wow. You don't get a break." And it made me think I really do want a break. But I need the money, especially if something happens with the job. Plus, I'd be bored if I had off all summer.

Oh, and for the past few days, I've been ridiculously paranoid that some people are avoiding me.

Blah.

Okay. Now that I've gotten all that out of my system, I feel a little lighter. And there are plenty of positives here. Despite the excessive drinking, I had a fantastic weekend. I laughed a lot, I hung out with some great people, I saw my family and my dog. I did some cleaning and shopping. I gave myself a pedicure, grilled a delicious dinner, watched some of my favorite movies. It definitely wasn't a wasted weekend. No regrets.

This afternoon I gave all of this a lot of thought during my 3 mile walk, and I came to a conclusion: all I need is a little balance. How very Libra of me :)

When I was 33, I drank some very good beer...

2011-05-09T18:24:00.000-07:00

I had an idea awhile ago (maybe a year or so?) that I wanted to learn more about beer. People always talk about wine classes and wine tastings. I like wine, but I'm not that interested in learning about it. Beer, on the other hand... now that's another story.

When I first started drinking, I was partial to the sweet stuff (screwdrivers, daiquiris, things like that) and I had zero taste for beer. But when I turned 21 and saw how expensive it was to buy a mixed drink in a bar, beer looked like a fantastic option. The only problem was that I hated beer. My first sip of beer was Coors Light from a can. I barely managed to swallow it and I wanted to puke. (Come to think of it, that's pretty much the same reaction I have to Coors Light now.) A friend finally introduced me to Yuengling Lager, which I liked. Sort of. Well, it was good enough to get me buzzed, and at the time, that was good enough for me.

Over the years, I developed a taste for different kinds of beers. Yuengling Lager is still one of my favorites, but I love going into a bar and scanning the list for a beer I haven't tried. Or a seasonal beer. Or the beer with the most unusual name. But I'd really like to fine tune my knowledge of beer. I want to know the difference between a lager and an ale. I want to know what makes a really good beer.

My plan is... well, I don't have it down to an exact science yet. What I'd like to do is start with one type of beer - for example, lager - and then sample different types of lager to see what the difference is. Additionally, I'd like to read up on that particular style of beer so I know what to notice when I drink it (color, taste, aroma, etc). A website called Beer Advocate might be helpful here. There's a page on their site called Beer 101, which gives tips and info about beer. This site also lists beers that have been reviewed and rated by people all over the world. I'm also lucky enough to live near a beer outlet that allows you to create your own mixed six-pack. So if I decide to focus on one type, I can sample six different brews. And, of course, I can always ask the Facebook community for suggestions. There are plenty of beer drinkers out there who would probably be more than willing to recommend beer.

As you can see, I haven't really figured it all out yet. It's just an idea I'm toying with... sort of an independent beer study for my own edification. I'll keep you posted :)

Who's gonna drive you home tonight?

2011-04-27T19:05:00.000-07:00

I was driving home from my parents' house tonight, and as I was flipping stations on the radio (I have severe music ADD), I found a song that deserved to be cranked waaaaaaay up.

If I may:

It just seemed like the perfect song to listen to at top volume while driving around at night with no particular destination in mind. Unfortunately, I had to get home to fold laundry, pack tomorrow's lunch, make coffee... the usual grown up chores.

Certain songs hold associations for me. "Nights in White Satin" was never one of them, but perhaps now it will remind me that I should be spontaneous and drive aimlessly around the city once in awhile :)

Years ago, before we were old enough to legally drink, a friend and I would drive around in my mom's old minivan listening to mix tapes that my brother made me. I don't talk to that friend anymore, but I can't hear these two songs without thinking of him and the late night excursions for coffee and conversation.

Ah, memories. Makes me wanna make the 2011 version of a mix tape - aka, playlist of mp3s :) I can call it, "songs for nighttime driving."

What songs would be on your list?

Holy Thursday

2011-04-21T20:01:00.000-07:00

This is my second year out of the classroom and although I love my new job, I often miss teaching 1st grade. One of my favorite things about teaching in Catholic school was that I got to celebrate the holidays the way I did as a child. Christmas wasn't buried under the PC umbrella of "winter holidays." We set up a nativity scene, sang carols, and lit the Advent wreath. Likewise, Easter wasn't just bunnies and baskets of candy. Together we spent 40 days of Lent preparing for the Easter season.

My favorite tradition with my 1st graders during Lent was our Last Supper meal. It was held on the last day of school before Easter break (which was always a 1/2 day). I bought pita bread, grapes, and grape juice (in lieu of wine) for our meal. Some years I added cheese and apples, just for fun. It's not exactly true to a Passover Seder, but I was more concerned with the symbolism of the foods and the sense of community and celebration that we shared during our "meal."

Together, we arranged the desks to form a long table, which I covered with a tablecloth. I lit candles and placed the food in the center. As a class, we said grace, sang songs, and then began our meal. Just like the Last Supper, I broke the pita bread and passed it around the table, letting each child break off his or her own piece. After that, they were free to help themselves to the food and enjoy each other's company. Years later, former students would come back and tell me that the Last Supper meal was one of their favorite memories of first grade.

Even though I'm out of the classroom, I still teach CCD (weekly religious education classes for students who don't attend Catholic school). I've been teaching 4th grade CCD for the past 5 years, but I've been able to continue my tradition of having a Last Supper meal on the last class before Easter. This year there was a schedule change, so unfortunately we didn't have time for the meal. But I managed to come up with a compromise. I sent each one of my students home with a piece of bread in a baggie with a scripture quote attached. I told them to save the bread until Holy Thursday, and then break it and share it with family. I also recommended looking up the scripture quote in the bible so that they could read the entire story of the Last Supper.

I'm glad I found a way to keep the tradition going, even though we didn't have time for the whole meal. Hopefully some of my students shared the bread and the story with their families tonight.

The Gods of Water

2011-04-17T17:45:00.000-07:00

Apparently I have pissed off the Gods of Water. I don't know when or where it happened, but it must have been a doozy.

Yesterday it stormed all day, and last night my bedroom wall and ceiling were leaking - again. This has been an ongoing problem since my 2nd month in this apartment. But this is not where the story begins.

When I lived in an apartment in college, there was a hot water pipe that ran through the bathroom from floor to ceiling. It would get so hot that my roommates and I would burn ourselves on it if we bumped into it, and at random times throughout the day it would rattle so fiercely that it sounded like someone was downstairs banging on it with a hammer. It used to wake us up at night.

After I moved out of my parents' house and into apartment #1, my roommate and I were plagued with one water problem after another. Oh, and a landlord who did diddly squat about fixing these problems.

There was the leak over the refrigerator:

There was the dripping over the kitchen sink (clear across the room from the fridge leak):

This dripped on and off for 6 months before it was fixed.

The bathroom. (It was gross.)

That's the wall & ceiling above the showerhead.
This is what it looked like after 4 months, right before we moved out.

The sewage that backed up into the only washing machine in the duplex:

The flooding in the cellar:

The white paper in the bottom right of this pic is a floating
glue trap. I like to think of it as an ark for the roaches.
"All aboard! Save yourselves! Women and children first!"

We finally moved out of that dump and into a new duplex... this time a 2nd floor apartment, which means no water problems from upstairs neighbors. But it does mean water problems from snow, rain, and a bad roof.

Which has led to a leak in my bedroom ceiling:

I emailed the landlord AGAIN last night. He actually wrote me back this morning and apologized for the inconvenience. Said he's going to bring yet another roofer out to look at it.

Gods of Water... whatever I have done to displease you, I am truly sorry. How can I appease you? Shall I sacrifice a virgin? Leave an offering at the altar of your most holy fountain? Dance in the rain at midnight? Just tell me, and I'll do it. Because the smell of mildew and wet drywall in my bedroom is kinda gross. Amen.

Green thumb :)

2011-04-10T01:23:00.000-07:00

Part of my Saturday routine is to take care of my indoor garden. I currently have a vinca, 2 violets, 2 small non-flowering plants, and a large floor pot with a leafy plant. (I'm sure all the non-flowering plants have names, I just don't know what they are.) And of course, I also have my windowsill herb garden.

When I watered my herbs, I noticed that I had a LOT of basil again. It tends to grow super fast, but I can't always use it all. I've read that it doesn't freeze well, and fresh basil tastes much better than dried.

I know I can use basil for pesto or caprese salad, but I was looking for something new. So I searched the internet for recipes using fresh basil... and I found 3 that I want to try. I started with the most simple recipe, since I already had all of the ingredients in my kitchen.

The recipe I tried is for basil butter using fresh basil, butter, lemon juice, lemon pepper, and garlic salt (which I substituted with Garlic Garlic, a Tastefully Simple seasoning). I don't actually own a real food processor, so I used my blender to chop the basil... and the kitchen smelled SO GOOD.

Then I used my manual food processor to mix the chopped basil with the softened butter, lemon juice, and seasonings.

Next, I dropped the butter mixture in small portions (about 1/2 tablespoon) onto a baking sheet lined with parchment and put it in the freezer until they hardened. Then I stored them in a ziploc bag in the freezer for later use.

So how can you use basil butter? Toss it with pasta, add it to mashed potatoes, stir it into rice, use it to sauté vegetables or chicken, soften it and spread it on hot bread, use it to top fish before cooking... just to name a few.

I hope to tackle the other 2 basil recipes in the coming weeks (once I go grocery shopping). If you have any suggestions for using fresh herbs, please share them in the comments! I hate to see them go to waste.

Lamb

2011-04-09T09:58:00.000-07:00

Today I'm going to do something a little different... a book review! About 5 years ago, a bunch of my friends formed a book club and one of the books we read was called Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal, by Christopher Moore. I didn't know what to expect when I started reading, but by the time I finished chapter 1, I was HOOKED. I enjoyed it so much that I reread it every year during Lent. (It is, for me, a Lenten staple as necessary as Jesus Christ Superstar, Godspell, and Cadbury Creme Eggs.) And now I want to share the wealth with you, dear readers.

This book tells about the life of Christ from the point of view of His best friend, Levi who is called Biff. The story begins when Josh (Jesus) and Biff are six and it chronicles their lives until the time of Josh's death. The tale loosely parallels the well-known stories found in the Bible... however, the Bible only covers the life of Jesus from His birth until age 13, resuming again at the beginning of His ministry (around age 30). Lamb fills in that gap by imagining what happened in those lost years.

The thing that strikes me the most about this book is that it manages to be reverently touching and laugh-out-loud funny all at the same time. I'm sure there are some who might find the humor offensive. If you're one of those people, this might not be the book for you. But I urge you to push past your holier-than-thou attitude and give this book a try. I take my religion seriously, but I'm a firm believer in laughing. And I'm pretty darn sure our Lord has a fantastic sense of humor. I mean, seriously... He gave us stuff like this:

And this:

And of course, this:

The author himself acknowledges the importance of humor by prefacing Part 1 with this Voltaire quote, "God is a comedian playing to an audience that is afraid to laugh." Don't be afraid to laugh. In fact, I dare you to read parts of this book and NOT laugh out loud. The writing of the Sermon on the Mount comes to mind. I just looked it up now for reference, and I laughed so hard that I cried. No exaggeration. (If you happen to buy the book, keep a lookout for that part... it's in chapter 28. You can thank me later.)

Still not convinced? Read this note from author Christopher Moore... or this excerpt from the inside flap of the book:

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal is a behind-the-scenes look at the original boy wonder. A few of the neat things you'll discover in these pages are...

What to do if your kid's face suddenly appears on every loaf of bread in town.
The proper method for choosing a harlot.
How sarcasm was invented. (Yeah, really.)
The history of the martial art specifically designed for boys from Nazareth (aka Jewdo).
What the rough draft of the Sermon on the Mount sounded like.
How to tell when an image of the Virgin Mary is a bona fide vision... and when it's just elephant poop.
How bunnies came to be associated with Easter.

... and much more.

Verily, I say unto thee... go forth and read Lamb. Thou shalt not regret it.

On the cheap.

2011-04-07T18:47:00.000-07:00

Confession time!

I love a good bargain. And I'm not just talking Target. Occasionally I'll hit the Wal-Mart. Sometimes I get a yen to stroll through K-Mart. And I've been known to find quite a deal at the Dollar Tree.

On Monday I had to run some errands, and on the way home I stopped at Big Lots. I've only been there a handful of times, and it's usually hit or miss. You can't go with something specific in mind, because you'll never find it. I like to go in with an open mind and just mosey up and down the aisles to see what's good. In the past I've found a lot of nice things: toy trucks for the son of some friends who were visiting from out of town, cloth placemats in colorful summer stripes for the dining room table, a plush nativity set for my 1st grade classroom, one-subject notebooks sold in packs of ten for $1 (also for my students).

Ugly generic throw pillow. Blah.

So back to Monday. I've been searching everywhere for throw pillows for my chocolate brown Ikea sofa. The only pillows I had were the ones that came with my old couch... and they were the only thing about the couch I didn't like! In Big Lots, I found some lovely celery green pillows with a design stitched in gold thread, for $8 each! The material has kind of a shimmery effect in the light, so it's hard to capture the color on film... but I love them!

New pretty pillows!

A closer look at the color and design :)

I also found some bamboo cutting boards (2 for $8)...

...and a $2 basket for the bathroom. There was room on a shelf and I've been looking for something decorative to fill it. I folded a spare hand towel, put it in the basket, and voila! Instant burst of color, and it fits the space perfectly!

Not too shabby. I'm still looking for something to hang on a rather large empty wall over my desk, so I'll be scouting around until I find something I like.

So, dear readers... do you have any favorite places to shop for bargains? Share the wealth in the comment box below and I'll check it out!

Dream a little dream...

2011-04-06T20:11:00.000-07:00

I had a dream last night. It wasn't a long dream, but there were enough details for me to be curious about what it meant. So I googled around and found a website for dream interpretation. I know it's not an exact science, but the things I read were pretty interesting.

The first part of the dream took place in a car (possibly my own). The details of that part of the dream indicate things like: serious difficulty and hurdles in achieving real life goals, unsure of which direction to take or which path to follow in life, low self-image, allowing others to take control of my direction, hesitant to enter into unfamiliar territory.

Hmmm. Doesn't sound promising.

Let's move on to the next part of the dream - the events that occurred after we parked and got out of the car. The details of that part of the dream indicate the following: confidence, fulfillment, satisfaction, harmony, all aspects of life in perfect balance, pleased with something I've said or done. Which is pretty much the complete opposite of the first part of the dream.

So my subconscious is telling me that I'm confused?

Anyway, for the past few weeks I've been in a rut. I feel like I'm just going through the motions and not really enjoying my life. I haven't been able to put my finger on exactly what the problem is, but maybe my subconscious wants me to figure it out before I drive myself crazy :)

Friendship

2011-03-28T16:55:00.000-07:00

This blog post will be written in conjunction with my friend Joe, who also hosts a blog. We decided that it would be fun (?) if we each wrote a post on the same subject (which would no doubt result in two differing points of view) and then link each other's blog in a shameless plug for more readers and/or comments. Or maybe that's just me.

When I was 7, I had a Best Friend. We played with our Barbie dolls, we walked home from school together, we went to each other's birthday parties. We were sure we'd be Best Friends FOREVER. After all, who else would ever know me as well as she did?

What I didn't realize was that one day, we'd grow out of Barbie and My Little Pony... and there wouldn't be another common bond to take its place. So, my Best Friend and I inevitably grew apart, and my next BFF was someone who shared my newfound love of New Kids on the Block, stone-washed jeans, and makeup. That friendship lasted through 7th and 8th grade, but fell apart in our freshman year of high school. The much-coveted title of Best Friend was bestowed upon many other people as the years went on.

Some of the friendships we had in childhood may have been fleeting, but they were by no means trivial. Everyone needs friends. I truly believe that friendship is an essential component to living a happy, healthy life. When I look at all the people I've called "friend" over the years, I've noticed that they can be grouped in several categories, all of which serve their own purpose in my life.

Work
I have co-workers, but I've also been lucky enough to have "work friends." Those are the people I bond with over lunch and watercooler gossip. Research actually shows that people who have a best friend at work are 7 times more likely to feel engaged in their job. And it makes sense. If there is someone at work that I enjoy talking to, then I look forward to going every day and I'm happy when I'm there... so it follows that I'll be a more productive worker.

In my current work environment, I'm friendly with all of my co-workers, but there are some I gravitate to more than others. We started this job last September as strangers, but I've noticed how our personal lives have started to trickle into our professional setting. We know the names of each others' spouses and children. We ask about family events. We email and text each other about everyday stuff as well as work issues. The only time we see each other during the week is at the office on Friday (we're at different schools during the week), and we all agree that we look forward to it all week. Just like the research says - we're happy and we're productive.

The Social Circle
In high school, I became part of a social circle for the first time. We were all involved in the chorus and the drama club, so we spent a lot of time together. I didn't have a close relationship with all of the people in the group, but there were no shortage of people to talk to at parties or pass notes to in the hallway. I was a painfully shy child in grade school. Being part of that group in high school was a life-changing experience. I felt a sense of belonging that I had never known before, which improved my self confidence greatly.

Over time, that group grew and changed and eventually dissolved. Thanks to Facebook, I've managed to reconnect with several people in that group, which has led to party invitations, book club meetings, and Girls' Nights Out. I don't consider all of these people "best friends," but they're fun to hang out with and they keep my social calendar filled.

Best Friend
When I taught first grade, there were girls in my class who had a different "best friend" each week. That's typical of kids... but as we grow up, we start to take the title of "best friend" more seriously. For me, it's no longer about who lives on my street or who shares their dolls with me. As an adult, I see the role of a best friend in a different light. My best friend is my constant cheerleader. She offers support and advice, lets me vent when I need to, gets excited for my successes, and is trusted with my secrets. And I do the same for her. There's a saying that "friends are the family we choose for ourselves." That's SO true. When I think of all of the things that have happened in my life - both good and bad - my best friend is the first person I call, after my parents.

The best part about our friendship is that it has lasted so long. We met freshman year of high school and then went through an 8 year hiatus two years after graduation (caused by college, life changes, and a falling out among mutual friends). When we reconnected, we still had the bond that had made us friends in the first place. But because we had both matured over the years, we are now able to relate in a new way. (Case in point - the whole time I have been typing this, she and I have been texting each other about recipes, family drama, and what we did today.)

Good friends are not just important, they are VITAL. I don't need science or research to tell me that. And while it's true that some friendships don't last forever, I still keep in touch with friends from grade school, high school, college, and every job I've had. It takes some time and energy to maintain those friendships, but in my opinion it is 100% worth it.

Things are never quite as scary

when you have a best friend.

(Bill Watterson)

Read Joe's blog post about friendship here!

Bento!

2011-03-15T13:36:00.000-07:00

Have you heard about bento? If you haven't, then click this link and read all about it. Go ahead, I'll wait.

Done? Good.

Okay, so now you've been formally introduced to the Japanese wonder that is bento - a single serving meal (usually lunch), packed in a little container. A traditional bento usually contains rice, fish/meat, and veggies. There are stores and websites dedicated to the creation of bento meals as well as the equipment required to make and decorate a bento.

I first learned about bento on a site called Epicute, which was a blog devoted to cute food. That site is no longer around, since it has now merged with another site to become Must Have Cute (mentioned in my last blog post). If you go on their site and search "bento," you'll see some of the fanciest and cutest little lunches EVER. Go check these out... scroll down to see them all... you won't regret it.

The people who made some of these have a LOT of time on their hands. I don't think I'd have the patience for it. But seriously... wouldn't your lunch break be a little bit happier if you opened your box and saw flowers and animals and cartoon characters?

So why am I writing about bento? Well, since last year, I've been on a kick to eat healthier. And one of my biggest obstacles was portion control. To that end, I began packing small containers of snacks instead of one big lunch. Today's lunch, for example, contained the following: 5 chicken nuggets, 7 Triscuits, 1 wedge of Laughing Cow cheese spread, 3 large strawberries, 1/2 sliced cucumber (with drizzle of ranch dressing on top). I like the variety that the small portions provide, and it allows me to mix snacky food with healthy choices (fruit & veg).

from Were Rabbits

Of course, I don't have all the fancy little bento boxes and food separators and picks... but a simple bento can be done in a plastic container. And the food doesn't need to look like flowers and bunnies. Sometimes just the mix of color and texture is enough to make it visually appealing. The one pictured below is right up my alley... Taco Rice Bento! I often have ingredients like this in my fridge. It would be super easy to put them all together in one container and have a fabulous lunch! (And if I bought the teeny little cutters to make the teeny little carrot butterflies, it would be even cuter!)

from Adventures in Bentomaking

Some of my lunches already have a bento-style, even though I still pack my food in separate containers. However, I'd like to take it to the next step... and maybe even buy some of the cute little holders to keep my food in place! I doubt I'll ever take my bentomaking as far as some of these people, but you never know.

So there you have it. It's okay to play with your food. And when you do, lunch can be healthy AND fun!

Linky goodness.

2011-03-13T19:30:00.000-07:00

When I need a good laugh or some inspiration, I hit my "favorites" (now called "bookmarks" since I'm using Google Chrome) and visit some of my favorite links. I keep them organized in a way that probably only makes sense to me, but I like having everything at my fingertips. Instant amusement. Isn't that why God invented the internet?

So here's a small sampling of the sites I visit when I need some mindless entertainment.

Must Have Cute - A site filled with pictures of all sorts of adorable things.

Failbook - Weird shit that people post on Facebook. Some of this stuff MAKES MY DAY. (I know. I'm easily amused.)

Cake Wrecks - The name pretty much says it all. Professional cakes that look like crap. Sometimes there are hilarious spelling mistakes. And every Sunday, they post the most amazingly beautiful pics of cakes in their Sunday Sweets segment.

Hyperbole and a Half - The chick who writes/draws this blog is a genius. Seriously. There are times that I can't get through a post because I'm laughing too hard to see straight. Pure internet gold.

Texts From Last Night - Again, the name says it all. This stuff reminds me of when I used to go out bar-hopping and clubbing and staying out all night. It also reminds me why I stopped doing that :)

The Oatmeal - Short, funny comics about all sorts of random things. Sometimes what makes them funny is how TRUE they are.

So that's just a few for you to check out (if you haven't already discovered them on your own). I have other sites that I use for ideas and inspiration, but I'll save those for another blog. If you know of any other sites/blogs that you think I should see, feel free to add a comment! I love finding new things to read!

The little things.

2011-03-10T17:14:00.000-08:00

Why is it that I always think of things to do when I don't have the time to do them? Prime example: I'm driving home from work and when I stop at a red light, I notice that my nail polish is chipping. And then I'll realize that this is the 3rd time this week that I've thought about it... so what's stopping me from taking care of it? This goes on all week long... just substitute "removing chipped nail polish" for "mailing birthday cards" or "reading book club book" or "cleaning off desk." Oh yeah... add "posting new blog" to that list.

All of these little things start to pile up, and before I know it, I'm overwhelmed by all the stuff that needs to get done. So I decided to take a good hard look at how I choose to spend my free time.

Most of the time it's the computer. Specifically, the internet. More specifically, Facebook. It's not even that interesting, but for some reason it sucks up my time like you wouldn't believe. Sometimes it's TV. There are very few shows that I watch regularly ("Community," "Big Bang Theory," and of course, Flyers games), but I've been known to get sucked into a marathon of "Law & Order: SVU" or an afternoon of cooking on The Food Network. It happens to the best of us.

Sometimes the week flies by, and before I know it, it's Friday. This was one of those weeks. In addition to work, I found myself with things to do every night this week until today: Monday was grocery shopping and an impromptu trip to the casino/bar (gotta carpe my diem once in awhile!), Tuesday was CCD, Wednesday was (as always) dinner with my parents. And that brings us to Thursday. I was DETERMINED to get shit done today. I came home, took out meat for dinner, sorted laundry, started my first load of laundry, and then walked 3 miles while the meat defrosted and the laundry ran. I watered my windowsill herb garden. I salvaged a few mums from a bouquet that I got a week ago. Then I cooked and ate dinner and washed dishes. Right now I'm watching a Flyers game while my second load of laundry is in the wash, and I managed to remove my chipped nail polish and apply a fresh coat.

AND I'm blogging.

I feel so accomplished.

I just need to remember to do this more often. If I use one day each week to catch up on this stuff, then it won't be so overwhelming. Even better... what if I take 30 minutes every night to whittle away at these little things? Takes a little bit of discipline on my part, but I think it's do-able.

Oh, and as an added bonus, I took pics of my herb garden and flowers in the late afternoon sunlight. Taking care of the little things certainly does pay off! ;-)

Summer on the brain.

2011-02-24T18:17:00.001-08:00

One week ago, the weather was GORGEOUS. It was sunny and 70 degrees. I wore a short sleeved blouse to work with a light jacket. I drove with my windows down and the radio volume up.

It made me want summer.

So naturally, that got me to thinking about vacation... and this past week, I've had traveling on the brain. I pulled out my travel scrapbooks and looked at pictures from London and Paris and Australia. I flipped through the pages of my Starr Tours catalog to see if there were any good trips coming up. I even put up a Facebook poll asking for vacation suggestions.

It's been 4 years since I went on my last BIG vacation - and by big, I mean "leaving the country for 3 weeks" big. For the past few years, I've spent my summers looking for a new job, working summer school, and taking little day trips or weekend trips (mostly to the beach)... but no REAL vacations. I'm ready for another big adventure.

Last summer, I really wanted to go on vacation, but I didn't have anyone to go with. (Sidenote: when your friends get married and have kids, they take family vacations to Disneyworld, and there are no more drunken weekends in Wildwood. Sigh.) I decided to carpe my diem and go on a solo vacation for the first time. I went to a lovely little lake town an hour away (a suggestion from a co-worker), and I stayed in a bed & breakfast (something I've always wanted to do).

On the surface, it was the perfect vacation. The B&B was awesome: comfy room, delicious breakfasts, wraparound porch with a view of the beach. The houses in the town were amazing, the beach was clean, and the lake in the center of town was scenic. But after the first day, I was itching for company. I'm a social creature. I can go shopping alone or go to the movies alone, but going on vacation alone? I'm glad I did it once, but now I know that it's not for me.

So now it's almost March, and I'm planning ahead. I really want to travel this summer, but I really don't want to travel alone. I have to start thinking about my options, put some money aside, and possibly find someone to travel with. I've got time, but I definitely don't want to leave it until the last minute.

Half-hearted.

2011-02-14T19:35:00.000-08:00

It's Valentine's Day.

A few days ago I wrote about how I was done being bitter and I wanted to find a way to make this day special, so that it would lose its association with coupley things. Well as it turns out, it wasn't a very special day. In fact, it was pretty much a normal Monday. I worked, I made dinner, I did laundry, I read a few chapters of a book. I guess you could say it's my fault for not making any extra effort, but in the end I decided it really doesn't make a difference.

Anyway, I made it through the day without feeling bitter at all. (Although I did feel slightly jealous of the people who posted on Facebook or texted me pics of the flowers from their boyfriends/husbands. I love flowers, damnit.)

And just to prove that I'm not a complete Scrooge (or whoever the Valentine's Day equivalent is), here are some very Valentine-y, Hallmark-y things I did to celebrate the day:

I sent Valentine's Day cards to my parents, my godson, and my best friend's sons.
I wore my red and pink socks with hearts on them.
I gave heart stickers to the kindergarteners I worked with today.
I made Valentine treat bags for my CCD students.
I posted a lovely video on Facebook of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dancing to Cole Porter's "Night and Day."

For all intents and purposes, I embraced the "true meaning" of Valentine's Day. But I'll be the first to admit that my heart wasn't really in it. (No pun intended... ha!)

I think it'll take some time before I can enjoy this holiday as a single person. Although I'm not sure I'd enjoy it any more as part of a couple, either... because quite honestly, February 14th isn't more special or romantic than March 12th or August 28th. And don't you think getting flowers on a random Tuesday is way more romantic than getting them on Valentine's Day?

Oh well... there's always next year :)

That thing you do.

2011-02-12T18:50:00.000-08:00

I had a Facebook "conversation" today about my how I like things organized a certain way. My friend jokingly referred to me as OCD. That's not the case, but I think it's true that we all have our own obsessions, rituals, habits and idiosyncracies that other people view as bizarre. Here are a few of mine:

When I get a new box of Crayola crayons, I dump the crayons out and put them back in "color order." (The order is loosely based on ROYGBIV... some colors are harder to classify, but I put them where I think they fit best.)

When I take eggs out of the carton, I always alternate which side I take from. Sounds wacky, I know. But I like balance and symmetry. If all the eggs are on one side of the carton, then it's unbalanced and lopsided.

All of my DVDs are arranged alphabetically. Christmas DVDs and box sets are separated from the regular movies. Box sets are in chronological order. Books are arranged alphabetically by author's last name (same as the library, lol). If I have more than one book by an author, then they are alphabetical by title... unless they're part of a series, in which case they are in number order.

My digital pictures are stored on the computer. I have categories for different things, but most of my pics are arranged in folders by year. So for example, I have a folder called 2010. In that folder are folders for every event/occasion, and they are named date first, then description (07-10 Barbecue, 12-10 Christmas).

I pack 2 napkins in my lunchbag every day. I have no idea when that habit started.

I won't put a container or jar in the recycling bin unless I've rinsed it out first. Partly because of bugs, partly because of smell... but mostly because I don't like when things drip all over the bin and/or floor.

I'm usually the last person to go to bed in the apartment... before I leave the living room, I straighten the cushions, put the throw pillows back where they belong, and fold the blankets. I don't know why. It's not like anyone is going to see the apartment after I go to bed.

There are more... but this is just a nice little sample of what goes on in my head. I know you have a little bit of crazy hiding somewhere. Go share it in the comments. It'll make me feel less neurotic :)

Valentine's Day

2011-02-10T18:53:00.000-08:00

Years ago, I wrote a bitter blog post about Valentine's Day being a Hallmark holiday and a waste of time and money. It became my tradition to repost it every year.

It's come to my attention that Valentine's Day is right around the corner. It kind of crept up on me... but thanks to the media, it's hard to ignore any holiday anymore. (President's Day mattress sale! Columbus Day car sale! Arbor Day sofa sale!) I realized that I haven't given any thought to posting the annual Valentine's Day rant. And guess what? I don't want to.

I know there are people who bitch about Valentine's Day being a day for couples... and if you're single, like me, then it's just another painful reminder that no one loves me. (I know... I know... plenty of people love me. But no one LOVES me.) I know I won't be getting flowers or jewelry or fancy dinners. But I never get those things anyway, so why should February 14th be singled out as an evil day?

I'm done being bitter. It doesn't do anything for me. When I'm bitter, I don't smile. I don't feel good about myself. I don't feel happy for other people. It's just destructive, and I don't want to be that person. I want to embrace my inner Pollyanna, damnit! (Please tell me you know who Pollyanna is... or I'll feel REALLY old.)

When I started my confidence project last month, I wrote about how it's possible to fool yourself into confidence by pretending to be confident. So now I'm going to use that same principle for Valentine's Day. I'm going to find a way to make this holiday lose its stigma. I haven't figured out how yet... but I'll come up with something. It will be a new tradition - having fun on Valentine's Day. Imagine that.

After all, being single isn't the worst thing in the world.

(But it's not the best, either.)

Hibernation

2011-02-02T19:18:00.000-08:00

It's February and I'm still blogging! Wow! Sometimes I amaze myself.

Philadelphia has been a mess of snow, ice, slush and cold puddles for the past 2 weeks. Driving is a bitch, finding a parking spot is even worse. It's just easier to stay home and wait for spring.

Today one of my co-workers told me that she feels like she's been hibernating. I totally know the feeling. She said all she wants to do lately is sleep and eat... she's perfectly happy to be curled up on the couch watching TV.

I had 4 1/2 days off from work thanks to snow and the weekend... after the first full day, I started to get a little antsy. I've been fluctuating between wanting to veg out and wanting to be super active. My days off went something like this: sleep late... eat big breakfast... dig out car... shovel & salt... sit around watch TV and snack... get super ambitious and clean my room... stay up too late watching episodes of "Big Love" on DVD... walk 4.5 miles using wii game... take nap... go to Blackthorn concert to drink and dance my ass off for 3 hours... lay around my parents house being lazy with the dog... get ridiculously organized and pack all necessary items for work week.

Total roller coaster. It was nice to have the days off, but I'm really glad to be back on schedule. I function better when I'm on a normal schedule.

By the way, the groundhog didn't see his shadow today... so maybe we'll get an early spring after all. That sounds awesome right about now :)

A Snow Day done right.

2011-01-27T18:58:00.000-08:00

I don't know if it's just people on the East Coast (or maybe just people in Philly) but as soon as the word "snow" leaves a weather forecaster's lips, all hell breaks loose. For days before the predicted storm (and I'm not exaggerating here), all we talk about is snow:

How much will we get? When will it start? Will it change to rain? Will it freeze over? Remember last year's storm? I thought they said we weren't supposed to get as much as last year! I wonder if schools will be closed.

It becomes an obsession. People rush the stores for bread, milk and eggs - snow makes people crave French toast, it seems. And rock salt is nowhere to be found.

Sometime last week (after having 2 days of two hour delays for our city's schools), rumors began to circulate about a storm hitting on Wednesday. The weird thing was that every website and news channel was reporting a different story. And they were being very wishy-washy about the details. I heard 4-8 inches. I heard rain changing to snow changing to rain. I heard the snow would stop by midnight. Right before I went to bed, I heard 6-12 inches. We got 16. It snowed through the night and by this morning, I could barely see my car.

My car @ 12:30 AM

Since I'm an old pro at this snow day thing, I planned in advance. Over the weekend, I had to do some grocery shopping. While I was there, I made sure to stock up on the essentials: toilet paper, ingredients for chicken noodle soup, milk, eggs... the usual. Oh, and I found a 25 pound bag of rock salt... SCORE!

Yesterday the schools dismissed at noon because of the weather, so I got home nice and early. I started a big pot of homemade chicken soup for dinner. I spent my night chatting with other teacher friends on Facebook and making predictions about a snow day... and then celebrating when the school district called it at 10 PM. Then I got to stay up a little later than usual, so I chatted with a friend online and caught up on a few episodes of "Big Love" on DVD.

This morning I slept in, then made a big snow day breakfast: banana multigrain pancakes, bacon, chicken apple sausage, and chocolate raspberry coffee. Then I tackled the shoveling... and a neighbor helped me dig out my car, which was awesome.

I spent the rest of the afternoon doing random things just for the hell of it. I baked apple bread, gave myself a manicure, watched a few more episodes of "Big Love," read my book club book, and talked to my best friend on the phone. Dinner was leftover chicken soup (always better the second day!)... dessert was apple bread (YUM) and a glass of white wine.

By 6:45 PM, the school district had already called a snow day for tomorrow, so I can have another glass of wine and go to bed without setting my alarm. Sweet deal.

I know we'll probably have to make up these snow days later in the school year, but I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. I got an unexpected long weekend and I'm going to enjoy it :)

Thoughts on Facebook

2011-01-24T23:58:00.000-08:00

Facebook.

It's a noun - "I checked Facebook before I went to work."

It's a verb - "I'll Facebook you later."

It's an adjective - "We need a Facebook picture!"

It's a social network. It's an obsession.

But honestly, I think it's one of the best things to come out of the internet in a long time.

Aside from having the potential to be a complete time-waster, Facebook brings people together. Since I joined a few years ago, I have been reunited with people I thought I'd never see again. I've rekindled old friendships and built new ones. I saw pictures of myself that I forgot even existed. (Hmmm... maybe that last one isn't such a good thing...)

For me, Facebook's value lies in the sense of community that it offers. If I'm having a bad day, there are people to cheer me up. If I need advice, it only takes seconds to get an opinion. Friends can keep in touch with me from all over the world. It's an amazing thing. Thanks to Facebook, I'm in a bookclub again, we've resurrected Game Night, and many of the plans I've had this month have involved people I haven't seen in years.

Sure... some people share a little TOO much on Facebook. (Do we really need to know how many times your baby pooped today?) And some people use Facebook to bitch and complain every time they update their status. I try to avoid those people.

I like to think of Facebook as my own personal support group. My mom and my cousin were teasing me yesterday, because I like to put the details of my workout as my Facebook status: "I walked 3.5 miles!" I don't think of it as bragging. I think of it as motivation. If you've been reading this blog for awhile, you know I've always had trouble making exercise a priority. By putting it on Facebook, I get the support of friends and family, which motivates me to keep going. (I know I should be self-motivated, but I'm not quite there yet. It's a process.)

So... do you Facebook? Is it a way to kill time, or do you actually see some genuine value in it?

100

2011-01-23T22:55:00.000-08:00

A friend recently challenged me to make a list. She once read an article in Oprah magazine that advised women who are looking for love to create a list of the 100 things they are looking for in a life mate. My friend called her own list "eye opening and thought provoking."

I have yet to pick up a pencil to make my own list. I've been giving it some thought, though. You know how much I love my lists... and above all, I'm curious to see if I can actually find 100 things to put on there.

The first things that went through my mind are sort of the obvious ones:

makes me laugh
has a good job
has financial security
intelligent
honest
reliable
gets along with my family

Then I started to wonder if I should make those a little more detailed. Take "intelligent," for example. Do I want to specify level of education? Is a masters degree a must? How picky am I allowed to be here? Realistically, if I met a man who had 99 out of the 100 qualities, I don't think I'd kick him to the curb because he only has a bachelor's degree. Or whatever. But since it's my list, I guess I should go for the ideal.

The next qualities that popped into my head were a little more frivolous:

enjoys sports (preferably hockey and baseball, but football is okay, too)
likes dogs
wants to travel
has similar (but not identical) taste in music

I questioned whether or not to put this stuff on the list. Is it too petty? These things aren't deal breakers, obviously. Then again, I have 100 spaces. I'm gonna have to fill them somehow.

And then there are the practical things:

cooks
helps with household chores
is organized and responsible
is good with kids (in case we have any of our own)
can fix things/enjoys home repair projects
wants to live within reasonable driving distance of Philadelphia (unless I fall in love with a man who lives in another state/country, in which case we'd have to discuss further)

You see how I automatically started qualifying and categorizing my choices? Typical of me. And honestly, I'm not sure I see the point in making a list like this. That's one thing my friend didn't mention. What do I do with this after I'm done? Stick it in my diary and forget about it? Is this something that I'm going to refer to later? Am I honestly going to pull this list out on a 5th date and start checking things off? Or maybe it's just for my own personal benefit. A tool to help me focus on the qualities that are important to me.

Anyway... I think I'm going to continue working on the list. I wanna see if I can get to 100. I think once I get past the obvious stuff, things are gonna get interesting.

Zen and the Art of Dog Walking.

2011-01-20T23:14:00.000-08:00

I visit my parents every Wednesday for dinner, and since I get there before they get home from work, I take the dog for a walk.

Tasha is a master of manipulation. If something happens once (i.e., she gets a treat after relieving herself), she expects it every time. Her new trick is to dance around by the back door and insist that she has to go out. Once she's out there, God knows what she actually does. She doesn't have to pee, because she was JUST walked. But she knows full well that if she comes in from out back and runs to the closet where treats are kept, she'll get a little snack. As my mother says, "Well, sometimes she goes. So she knows she gets a treat when she does." Manipulation, I tells ya!

A few weeks ago, I came to walk her and decided to take her to the woods behind the houses across the street. She was in her glory. So now every Wednesday when I come to walk her, she immediately pulls me down the street to the corner, and refuses to squat until we cross the street and head for the woods. I suppose that one was my fault. I really don't mind doing it... I just think it's amazing that she not only remembers, but expects, that I will take her back to the Land of Many Good Smells.

So it has become our little ritual. We both get some fresh air and exercise. Tasha gets to stalk squirrels. I get to enjoy the scenery (and I'm not referring to the beer cans). It's win-win.

Balance!

2011-01-19T23:00:00.000-08:00

True to my word, I've been accepting invitations left and right. I've seen people that I haven't seen in ages. I'm going places I've never gone before. And it's only January 19th. By the time December rolls around, I'm gonna be exhausted, but damn happy :)

The downside to being so busy is that I haven't been making time for exercise. And that ain't cool. I used to dread exercising, but now I look at it as a fantastic stress release (and you gotta love those endorphins!). So if I don't make time for walking, working out, whatever... the stress of planning and socializing will start to build up. And then all hell breaks loose. Kablooey. (I'm not really sure if that's what it sounds like when hell breaks loose. I'm taking creative license here.)

Can I form a sub-goal for my confidence goal? I think that sub-goal should be balance. Sometimes when I get a new interest, I neglect other things. I need to make sure that even though I'm busy going places and seeing people, I still take time to eat right, blog, write in my journal and exercise. Oh, and sleep more than 5 hours. I suck at that.

One more thing... I would like to formally dedicate this blog post to my procrastination assistant, Mr. Joe Silva. I started writing this blog about 2 hours ago and then got interrupted by him with an online conversation that involved houseplants, nail clippings, and Bob Ross's happy little trees. Apparently I can't balance chatting and blogging. My attention span gave out and I chose human interaction over blogging. I'll try to be more focused next time :)

the WHOOSH factor.

2011-01-15T01:45:00.000-08:00

Confidence comes from within... well it should, anyway. But every now and then an external confidence boost is an amazing thing. Those little moments can do wonders for faltering self esteem. I can think of certain compliments that have kept me on an emotional high for days. I think the key is balance. If the opinions of others were the only thing that made me happy, then I wouldn't really be meeting my goal of improving my self-confidence.

Every once in awhile I have one of those days when I accomplish something (which makes me feel good) and then it gets recognized by someone else (which makes me feel better) and then it's like WHOOSH! Rush of pride, rush of self esteem, rush of endorphins... call it what you want, but it's a great feeling. And it doesn't upset the balance. Most of my warm fuzzies still came from within, and the boost I got from other people was just a nice bonus.

Today I had to co-present at a faculty meeting at one of my schools. (Topic: "Writing in Math." Try to contain your excitement.) My co-worker designed the presentation, even though I offered numerous times to help out. She's rather territorial about these things. But she did ask me to choose a book to read to the teachers that could be used to teach/introduce a math concept to a class. Since my only other job was to advance the slides on her powerpoint presentation (snore), I decided to take my small role seriously. Earlier this week, I found a book, brainstormed ideas and created a handout... and this morning at the presentation, I read with all the expression and enthusiasm of a first grade teacher (old habits die hard), engaged my audience, lead a lively discussion, and then took my seat, ready to advance to the next slide for my co-worker.

At the end of the presentation, participants were asked to fill out an evaluation... and when I read them, I was surprised and pleased to see that almost all of the teachers mentioned my activity as the most important thing they got out of the presentation. My little 10 minute piece made more of an impact than the 40 powerpoint slides and 80 minutes of talking that my co-worker did. I'm not saying her portion was boring or useless... but even though she had the bulk of the presentation, my piece was meaningful and memorable enough to be mentioned in the evaluation.

WHOOSH!

Yeah... that was some good stuff.

We all enjoy when we get a compliment or recognition. So the way I see it, if it feels good to receive a compliment, it's got to feel just as good to give one. As I work on my own self-confidence this year, I'm going to make it a point to give others a sincere boost whenever the opportunity presents itself. We love to complain when things aren't going the way we want... bad service at a restaurant, cashier who forgot to ring up the sale price... but we often miss out on chances to tell someone when they're doing something well.

So... Pay a compliment. Recognize an effort. Praise thoughtfulness. Thank someone. Acknowledge hard work.

The WHOOSH factor. Make it happen.

Let it snow!

2011-01-11T23:36:00.000-08:00

It's probably too late for me to be writing a new blog, especially since my Wednesday-Thursday school starts at 7:45 AM. But it's been snowing all night and it's supposed to snow straight through until the morning. We might have a snow day or we might just have a delayed opening... but the anticipation of a possible day off makes me giddy. I know that I still have to go out and shovel, and I know that if we use too many snow days we'll have to make them up in June. That doesn't stop me from wishing it would happen.

As I've gotten older I've noticed that there are less things to get excited about than there used to be. When we were kids, Christmas was a magical time... Santa Claus and presents and days off from school to play with all the new toys. Birthdays meant parties and gifts, a cake decorated with favorite cartoon characters, balloons and streamers in the living room. And snow days were filled with sledding, snowmen, hot chocolate and (best of all) no school or homework.

I still celebrate Christmas and birthdays and every other holiday... but in a different way. I still enjoy those holidays, but I appreciate them more because I know how much work goes into making them happen. Sometimes I think it would be nice to relive one more Halloween and go trick-or-treating in my Smurfette costume. Or one more Strawberry Shortcake birthday party (complete with themed favor bags for my guests). Or one more roller skating party at the Palace.

At least I think I would. But then again, maybe not.

When I imagine having a snow day now, I don't think about sledding or snowmen. I've become one of those grown-ups who glares at the kids for throwing snowballs while they wait for the school bus. You couldn't pay me to go outside and make snow angels. (I can say this because I don't have kids. I know all the mommies out there are just itching to roll around in the cold, wet snow with their little darlings. More power to ya, sisters.) My idea of a perfect snow day consists of hot coffee, bad daytime television, comfy clothes, and a chance to take a mid-afternoon nap... just because I can.

Bring it on, Mother Nature. I'm ready :)

"Sucking the marrow out of life doesn't mean choking on the bone."

2011-01-10T19:12:00.000-08:00

My January weekends are pretty darn full, thanks to my decision to accept as many invitations as possible. For example, this past Saturday I was invited to a martini party (which unfortunately got cancelled due to snow), and I saw the Philadelphia Orchestra perform Mozart's Requiem on Sunday. Simply breathtaking.

When I made the resolution to improve my social life and accept invitations, I was only thinking of planned events... parties, sporting events, dinners, etc. I never thought about the spur of the moment plans. Here's the thing: I like planning. I like making plans ahead of time, knowing what to expect, being prepared. The idea of spontaneity appeals to me in a "Dead Poet's Society," carpe diem kinda way, but since the very definition of "spontaneous" involves a lack of planning, I never quite got the hang of it.

So this weekend I wound up with an opportunity for spontaneous plans two night in a row (both times with the same person, lol). It didn't occur to me to turn the plans down. Maybe that's a sign of me becoming more flexible. I don't even know if that's a good thing. Being spontaneous is outside of my comfort zone, so I'm going to say it's a good thing. Branching out is good. Staying in my hole is not good. Even if it's warm and cozy in there.

Confidence building is tricky business. There are times when I feel like I'm forcing it to happen. I wake up and I look in the mirror and I start finding things wrong with the way I look (although, in my defense, no one looks good when they roll outta bed in the morning). And then I catch myself being negative and try the positive instead. I guess I could argue that I'm trying to unlearn a bad habit by doing that... but how long will it take before that kind of thing comes naturally? When will I stop second guessing myself? I'm just having trouble finding my balance. And as a Libra, that's not a good thing. I like everything evened out... I want everyone happy. (Even if it means I don't get exactly what I want. You can see why putting myself first has been such a struggle in the past...)

I'm certainly not saying that all of my good moods are fake. In fact, most of the time tricking myself into confidence actually works. It's those few quiet minutes in my day, when I have time to myself... that's when it all breaks down. That's when I think this was a bad idea. And those few moments of doubt can be so much stronger than the hours of confidence. Sometimes it feels like I undo everything I've accomplished when I let myself entertain those thoughts. I'm my own worst enemy that way.

Fuck it. I'm gonna have to push past it and get through this.

The write stuff.

2011-01-06T20:10:00.000-08:00

Come on... don't you love the punny goodness in the title?

I'm obsessed with lists. That's no secret. I'm always making lists. My lists have lists. I've said it before: a friend from grad school once told me that if she ever needed to get me a present, it would be a notebook for all my lists :)

My bad habit is that I write something down and then somehow misplace the paper. On the plus side, my brain is wired to remember something better after I've written it down. (That's how I used to study in college... write everything on index cards, color code them, and then when it came time to take the test, I'd somehow remember where it was written and what color it was underlined in. Major genius? Or major geekiness?)

That's why New Year's resolutions appeal to me so much. I write things down, I categorize them, I make bullet points for each listing. I honestly think that last year's resolutions worked so well for me because I posted them on this blog. Even if I never looked at them again, I knew they were out there, in the blogosphere. Maybe that made me feel accountable... I don't know. But whatever it was, it worked.

So I've noticed lately that a lot of people are posting (or talking about) things they want to do sometime in their life. Not necessarily a list of New Year's resolutions... more of a bucket list. (I really don't like that expression though.) And since my goal for the year is Confidence, I thought about all the things I've always wanted to do, but never got around to doing. I've been working on a mental list for the past few days. It's still in the beginning stages, but I think it'll be good.

Once I post the list (which will be soon, I promise), I think I'll feel obligated to acknowledge it. It's kind of exciting. I feel like I'm giving myself permission to be selfish, and I'm trying hard not to feel guilty about it. (Once a Catholic school teacher, always a Catholic school teacher... lol...)

Some things on the list are simple... some are extravagant. All will make me a happy.

I think that's really all that matters here. Being confident means feeling good about myself. As I explained it to my father tonight, "It's the year of ME. I'm always doing things for other people... now I want to make myself happy." Of course that doesn't mean I'll stop doing things for others. I just want to be more aware of where I rank on my list of priorities. I deserve to be at the top of someone's list, don't I? So why not my own? And why not now?

Gettin' busy.

2011-01-04T18:17:00.000-08:00

"Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy."

- Dale Carnegie

My social calendar for January is rapidly filling. What I like about it is that I have different types of events planned with different types of people. Instead of sticking to the same old thing, I'm branching out as much as I can. So when I came across this quote on a blog I read, I thought it was perfect for me.

In the coming weeks, I'll be going to a post-Christmas martini party, a performance of Mozart's "Requiem," a swap party (a great way to declutter!), game night, a book club meeting, a Blackthorn concert (hopefully), and dinner at a restaurant during Restaurant Week! (That last one is something that has been on my to-do list for ages, so I'm pretty excited!) Oh, and I'm hosting a Tastefully Simple party.

So yeah... I think Dale Carnegie would be proud ;-)

The other resolutions

2011-01-03T22:25:00.000-08:00

Before I came up with The Confidence Goal, I started making a list of resolutions. This was the last draft I made before I decided to scrap it and go with something easier:

1. Get better at being alone. Learn to enjoy doing things by myself. Be less dependent on others for my source of fun.
2. Make travel plans for someplace outside of the country. (I haven’t left the USA since 2007.)
3. Accept as many invitations as possible.
4. Continue to improve money management (keep credit cards paid off, pay down student loan as much as possible, set up house fund).
5. Go back to school.
6. Read at least one book a month.

I think it's interesting that several of my resolutions reflect my Confidence Goal. Somewhere in my subconscious, I've been heading in this direction all along. So maybe it wasn't such an impulsive decision after all! ;-)

Even though I'm not officially making these resolutions, I'm not quite ready to let them go. I think #4 and #5 are pretty important. Technically #4 is a carry-over from last year, which is why I used the word "continue." And going back to school is sort of a necessity. As a PA certified teacher, I'm expected to earn continuing education credits to keep my certificates current. Also, once I reach 30 credits, my salary gets bumped up. So it's win-win :)

Resolutions #1 and #3 might seem slightly contradictory, but there was a method to my madness. Last year, I resolved to improve my social life, and I think I succeeded. I just had to redefine my idea of "being social." My friends don't go dancing or clubbing anymore. There are no spontaneous girls' nights out, because babysitters need to be arranged, and schedules need to be cleared with husbands, etc. As a result, my new social life is made up of more low-key activities. It's not bad. I'm learning to like it. (But sometimes I really miss dancing.) So resolution #1 comes from my constant need to want to see people and do things. Being social isn't a bad thing, but sometimes I need to be alone and do things by myself. And #3 (which is my personal favorite) allows me to be social, but kind of forces me to branch out a bit.

As for #2 and #6... well, they're just fun. And having fun builds confidence, right?

So even though I'm not actually resolving to do any of these things, there's no harm in keeping them on the backburner.

Here we go again...

2011-01-02T14:23:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

'Tis the season! Time to pull together a list of resolutions that you'll most likely forget about by March. Don't deny it, we're all guilty.

I'm trying something different this year. On New Year's Eve I sat down to write a list of resolutions... but the list wasn't really coming together as easily as I would have liked, so I put it aside and decided to come back to it later.

After midnight, I was still wide awake and bored, so I cruised through Youtube to find some good music... and I came across a Pink song that I've been loving: "Raise Your Glass." As I listened to it, I got all philosophical. (Cut me some slack, it was 1 AM and I'd had a few vodka drinks.) Anyway, the lyrics got me thinking about something that one of my co-workers does. She doesn't make a New Year's resolution. She chooses one thing to focus on for the year. She prays on it, she meditates on it, and she tries to practice it in everything she does that year.

Sounds simple, right? One goal, 365 days. I can do that.

So I decided my goal for the year is CONFIDENCE.

I don't have an actual plan of action... I just know that when I listened to the song and thought about the idea of focusing on one thing, "confidence" was the very first word that popped into my head. And sometimes you just gotta go with your gut.

After I announced my goal on Facebook last night, I got a lot of support from friends. I've also had a few discussions (online and in person) regarding my plan... or lack, thereof. Some interesting questions came out of those conversations.

~ How is confidence measured?
~ At the end of the year, how will I know if I was successful?
~ What am I going to do to practice confidence?

I have no answer for the first two questions (yet), but I started thinking about the last one. Some friends have offered advice. From Other Adrienne, the following: "Look in the mirror everyday and tell yourself something great about you and also say I am a confident woman." She also said that a big part of it is not caring what others think. "Say, wear, do, be what you want to be without apology or worrying what the rest of the world thinks. Step out of the boat and onto the water, confidently."

Good advice. But easier said than done?

I spent a huge part of my life worrying about what other people think of me. Over the years, I managed to beat a lot of those insecurities down, but they resurface from time to time. And they have a tendency to be very persistent.

Joe and I talked about this last night... he's of the opinion that confidence can be faked. When I thought about it, it made sense. I've put on a good front before and managed to fool myself into thinking that things didn't bother me as much as they could have. Also, people have told me that they think I'm confident... which always makes me laugh, because that's the LAST word I'd use to describe myself. But if they see it, it must mean I fake it pretty damn well.

So do I base my level of confidence on how others see me? Is confidence as easy as fooling myself into thinking I'm awesome? If that's true, then why do I still feel like I need to work on my self-confidence? (By the way... Joe's other advice for worrying about what other people think? "Fuck 'em." I think I'll adopt that as my Confidence Mantra!)

It will be an interesting journey... but I can't wait to see where this will take me.

Building a better, stronger Dree... one day at a time.

2010-09-13T19:56:00.000-07:00

I fall off the blog wagon every few months or so. I blogged WAY more when I was teaching, but now my job doesn't yield as many cute stories. Everytime I think about blogging again, I go through the "what the hell should I write about," "no one reads this crap anyway" routine.

But now I'm back. AND... I have something to write about. Woot!

I recently re-read a blog that I wrote at the beginning of this year, and I had a list of my New Year resolutions posted. For the first two months, I kept up with it... and then, as usual, the blogging fell to the wayside. But I'm happy to report that I am still keeping most of my resolutions. In fact, I'd even go so far as to say that some have actually become a way of life now.

The two things that I've been working on the most are my decluttering project and my eating better/exercising. The decluttering was the easiest to tackle, and it's been an ongoing crusade to rid my bedroom, car, closets and storage unit of the things that are no longer necessary in my life.

The challenge to make healthier food choices was also less daunting than I thought it would be. I've been more careful about reading labels and limiting certain foods (carbs and soda were the biggies). I've been making more food from scratch (I even started growing my own herbs!) and I'm working on portion control. That's a tough one.

Exercise was my Everest. I have never been able to make exercise part of my daily routine. Since I made it a resolution, I put it on my priority list. I bought a wii to help me get motivated. A few weeks later, I found a walking game for the wii, which is interactive and keeps track of miles walked, calories burned, steps taken, etc. The wii use was sporadic for awhile, and even though I enjoyed it, the walking tapered off. Then this summer, I somehow got back into it. But this time, I went a step further (no pun intended). I found a fitness channel on my cable's On Demand, and discovered Leslie Sansome's Walk at Home program. I tried 1 mile in 20 minutes. Totally do-able, so I started doing it every day. I learned that my mom has a Leslie Sansome DVD that includes a 1 mile walk with handweights. Score! Now I had variety! When that got boring, I added the wii walking game into my rotation.

I am amazed by what's happening. I used to hate even the thought of exercise. But now I love the way I feel after I walk. I'm completely energized and I feel so accomplished. When I first started, the 20 minute mile left me sweaty and panting. Now the 20 minutes fly by, and my recovery time is much quicker. When I use the wii game, I've been averaging 3 miles an hour. And it has become part of my daily routine.

I could certainly be doing more in the way of exercise, but this is a huge step for me (again with the step puns, lol). I plan to gradually add more - maybe actually join a gym or drop in on a Zumba class. But the important thing is that I made a plan and I stuck to it.

I rock :)

One month down

2010-02-01T13:04:00.000-08:00

Happy February!

We have officially made it through the first month of 2010. Overall, I think I did well with my resolutions. But now that a month has passed, I want to reevaluate them to see if any adjustments need to be made. (Original resolution in black, comments in red.)

1. Go to church on a regular basis. I've done well with this. I've only missed one week so far, but I didn't let that discourage me from my goal.

2. Money management (set up automatic bill payment, put some money into separate savings account, put money into 401K). I need to get moving on this. I did put some of my money into my ING savings account (set up to deposit automatically twice a month), but I need to do more.

3. Get back to writing, in any form (blogs, poetry, journal). I've been writing in a journal every night, even if it's only a little bit. I haven't blogged as much as I wanted to, but at least I'm still writing.

4. Make effort to improve and maintain social life (including keeping in touch with friends who are NOT on Facebook). This one is hard. I have attempted to make plans with people, but my friends aren't as social as they used to be. Many of them are married and have small children, so their free time is usually family time. I have to find a way to branch out and meet new people, I guess. That will really take me out of my comfort zone, but in the long run, I think it will be worth it. I've been good with sending cards... not so much with emails or phone calls. I'm not a phone person, but I have friends who aren't on Facebook, so I REALLY have to make an effort with them. Damnit.

5. Make better food choices. Surprisingly, this has been pretty easy for me. I love to cook, and I spent a lot of weekends in January making homemade meals with fresh ingredients. I've been careful not to keep junk food in the apartment, which means I don't buy ice cream, cookies or chips (with the exception of my beloved tortilla chips and salsa). No soda, no white bread (I've even replaced my flour tortillas with whole wheat!), and no fast food.

6. Simplify and declutter. This has been another area of success for me. I really rose to the challenge and began to pare down my possessions. It felt really good to see the piles diminish and to see organization happening in my former "hot spots." But one downside is that when I take things out of one area, they wind up in another. I'm working hard to get rid of what I don't need and find a home for what I want to keep, but I feel like I'm slowing down a little. I need to get back on track with this one.

7. Read books I already have before buying new ones. Haven't bought any new books. Haven't really read much, either. I feel very lazy, book-wise. Sadly, the internet is part of the reason for that. I feel like I waste a lot of time on Facebook and blogs when I could be reading or writing. I'll try to cut out some of my online time each night so that I can read a few chapters of a book instead.

8. Walk more. Baby, it's cold outside. This ain't happening until spring. However, I borrowed a yoga DVD from Erin, and I've been looking into dropping in on a Zumba class or a country line dance class. Even if I have to go by myself (something else that takes me out of my comfort zone). Oh, and I really, really wanna buy a wii. Less sitting, more activity.

So that's where I stand after one month. Not too bad. There's still room for improvement. That's what February is for :)

Happy Sunday!

2010-01-17T07:27:00.000-08:00

Hello, blogging world.

It's a dreary Sunday morning here - flat gray sky, misty rain. I managed to make the most of it by settling on the sofa with a mug of chocolate coffee and a freshly baked scone with clotted cream and homemade strawberry jam (compliments of the roommate). And a little Jeff Buckley for background music.

The New Year's goals are going well. I've been to Mass every week, I'm still decluttering, I've reached out to a few friends that I haven't talked to in awhile. I feel like I started the year with a rush of adrenaline... I was determined that everything would get done. Now I've kind of plateau-ed. I know that I'm working towards some big goals, but I can't get them all done at once. And some of my goals are easier than others.

Surprisingly, I've found the decluttering project to be the easiest and most fun for me. I think because it yields immediate results. As soon as I go through a file or a box or a drawer, I can instantly see the difference. However, the resolution about making better food choices is more difficult (as is evidenced by the scone and clotted cream, lol). I don't keep junk food in the apartment, with the exception of chips and salsa. We have leftover Christmas chocolate, but I'm not a big chocolate eater. I don't keep ice cream or soda around, and most of the Christmas cookies are gone. I think my main problem is starches and carbs... bread, bagels, pasta, pastry. I cut out white bread a few years ago, so that was a step in the right direction. I can't quite get on board with the whole wheat pasta, though. The texture is a little funky for me.

But anyway, it's progress. Things are getting done and I'm feeling a little better about myself.

Today I'm going to spend the afternoon at my best friend's birthday luau! Yep, a luau in January :) I'm excited about it. I even pulled a Hawaiian shirt out of my summer clothes storage for the occasion. It'll be a fun time: old friends and (yikes!) good food. And tomorrow is a holiday, so I get a whole day to do whatever I want! Can't beat that.

Slow and steady

2010-01-09T21:14:00.000-08:00

I'm still working on the declutter project. I'd love to just be done with it, but it's time consuming. And as a recovering pack-rat, it's very hard to just throw everything away without looking at it first. I've been finding creative solutions for storing the things I can't bear to part with... but that's another post for another time.

Today's focus was on towels. I know, so thrilling! But I was straightening out the hallway closet, and I came across a box that has a bunch of towels and rags and potholders... all the stuff that doesn't fit anywhere else (we have a TINY kitchen with little storage). I moved all of the cleaning rags into one spot, then I sorted through the rest of the pile. Any towel that was stained or old or ratty looking was placed in a tote bag. The rest of the good stuff went back into the box with the potholders and the spare tablecloth. As for the tote bag - my brother and his wife run a dog rescue, and they're always looking for donations of certain items. Old towels and washcloths are high up on their list (dogs are messy!). So the next time I see Doug, I'll give him the bag of towels for the rescue to use. Decluttering leads to donation... everyone wins!

My other project for today was to go through my recipes and find a few things I don't make often. I chose one thing I've never made before and a few things that require ingredients that I don't normally have on hand. So tomorrow I'm going to make beef stew in the crockpot (for dinner), baked potato soup (to freeze for later), and sweet couscous with dried fruits and nuts (new recipe from Food Network). Can't wait to get cookin'!

Goodnight, nobody. Goodnight, mush.

2010-01-06T19:01:00.000-08:00

I started back to work on Monday, so I've spent a few days readjusting to my "normal" schedule. Over break, I stayed up too late, slept later than usual, and didn't have a schedule for eating. I didn't realize how routine-driven I'd become until a few years ago, when I started to get summer insomnia. No matter how tired I got, I couldn't sleep. I don't have that problem in the summer anymore, because I make sure to stay on a schedule and work a summer job (if possible). But for some reason, I don't keep a schedule over Christmas break. I think I fool myself into thinking I can handle it. And I can't.

Anyway, I've been having trouble falling asleep the past few nights... my brain wouldn't shut off, and I started to think so much that I got anxious, which prevented me from falling asleep. So I had to work out a nighttime ritual to help me settle down. I asked a few friends for advice, and combined their best ideas into the following plan:

1. No reading in bed. (They also said no TV in bed, but I don't have a TV in my room.) Reading stimulates the brain, which makes it difficult to fall asleep. So now I read in the living room until I get tired.

2. Make sure the temperature is cool enough to need a blanket, but not so cold that I need several blankets. Low body temperature apparently helps you sleep. I didn't know that. I was always freezing at night, so I adjusted the thermostat a little.

3. No caffeine or alcohol before bed. That one was no problem. I only drink one mug of coffee in the morning, and then I have water for the rest of the day. And I rarely drink alcohol on a worknight.

4. Write in a journal before bed. I've chosen to write 5 accomplishments/happy thoughts for the day, as well as 5 goals for the next day. A friend suggested that making a to-do list for the next day would kind of give my brain permission to stop thinking about things that need to be done. I like that idea.

5. Light a lavender scented candle. It calms me.

6. Lights off when I'm tired.

7. Pray.

8. If I can't sleep, a few friends advised me to get out of bed and go into another room to do something else until I get tired.

I tried it for the first time last night, and it seemed to work. I felt better after writing, I fell asleep in the middle of prayers, and I slept until my alarm went off. So far, so good. I'm going to try it again tonight.

And before I go... a quick resolution update. Project Declutter is on temporary hiatus until the Christmas decorations are put away. Although, if you think about it, getting my apartment back to normal is a big part of decluttering. And I've been weeding out the decorations as I'm packing them away. Some things didn't get used this year, so they can get trashed or donated... depending on their condition.

Ok, time to start my bedtime ritual. Goodnight!

Do it write.

2010-01-03T14:47:00.000-08:00

Today is my last day of Christmas break. I had nothing planned, so it seemed like coffee, laundry and my sofa were going to be on my agenda. Then my brother called to say he was stopping at my parents' house for a few hours. I abandoned my laundry and met him over there for an afternoon of wii with my parents (Mom's new Christmas present from Dad). It was a lot of fun and it got me out of the house for a few hours. Can't beat that. A wii has been on my wish list for a little over a year now, and I think I'm finally going to break down and buy one. It's a hell of a lot better than sitting on the sofa surfing the 'net or watching bad TV ("Full House," I'm looking at you...) and they're a lot cheaper than they used to be.

Anyway, moving on. Today my decluttering project started with me taking down this year's Christmas cards. Some got thrown away, some of the fronts got saved for Christmas crafts for next year (recycling is good!), and others went into an old shoebox in my closet that's filled with greeting cards. While I was there, I decided to declutter the shoebox. I'm a sentimental pack-rat, so it's very hard to get rid of things that have meaning. I managed to weed out some cards that aren't worth holding onto, but I put the rest back into the box. Things I saved include:

~ cards from my grandparents (all 4 have passed away, and it's nice to see their handwritten messages on old birthday cards)
~ a few cards from my godfather (also deceased... when I was little, he used to make the letters in his words look like animals with ears and faces)
~ some cards from my brother (a few hand drawn, most with funny messages)
~ cards and letters from my now 18-year-old godson (especially the older ones when he was just learning to write)
~ any card from a friend or family member that has a personal message written inside
~ wedding announcements, programs, invitations and thank you cards from the weddings I've been in
~ photo cards of the children of my friends

For now those things are all in the shoebox. Maybe someday I'll get them into some sort of scrapbook or memory book, but as long as they have a place and aren't taking up space, I'm okay with keeping them where they are.

I've been searching the web for other blogs and websites that embrace my newfound love of simple living. I'm going to start listing them (and other sites that I like) over in my links section in case anyone is interested in them. Today I found a site called Small Notebook and this post about ditching the label maker in favor of your own handwriting really got me thinking about my resolution to keep in touch with people. When I sorted through my Christmas cards, I was saddened to see how many people didn't bother to send anything this year. It was also interesting to see who wrote a personal message instead of just signing their name. Some people didn't even bother to write MY name on the card, which makes it even more impersonal. I know time is hard to come by for some people, but I managed to handwrite a small message in each of my holiday cards. It's one of those things that has started to go by the wayside, much like letters written in pen on nice stationery. Sure email and texting is fast and easy... but isn't it fun to get actual mail? So I think one of my goals for my "keeping in touch" resolution will be to send a letter or postcard or greeting card with a personal message to each of my friends at least ONCE this year. Whether or not they choose to reciprocate is up to them.

Staying on track

2010-01-02T15:23:00.000-08:00

It wasn't my goal to write a blog every day, but I'm still on Christmas break from work so I have more free time than usual. And because I just made all of these resolutions a few days ago, I think writing daily helps keep me in line.

So far, I'm doing well on a few of the resolutions. Namely the ones that I've been able to tackle in the first two days of the new year. Resolution #1 was "Go to church." Done and done. I went New Year's Eve (since Jan. 1 is a holy day) and I went tonight, to fulfill my Sunday obligation. Now I just need to keep that up. I actually really like going to Mass, but I get lazy about it.

And resolution #6 "Simplify and declutter"... I spent a good part of today sortng through a pile on my desk and a huge storage bin that's been sitting in the hallway since I moved into this apartment in September. I threw stuff away and filed other things into folders to be dealt with later. That's another project for another time.

I'd do more decluttering, but tonight I feel like honoring resolution #4... having more of a social life. Now I just need to figure out how to do that.

New year, new goals.

2010-01-01T14:19:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I can't believe it's 2010.

I spent last night with some good friends. We drank beer, ate fondue, and lit a fire in the fireplace. We rang in the new year in our jammies, toasting with sparkling cider. By 1:30 AM, my friends were in bed and I was dozing off on their sofa... a far cry from the drunken New Year's Eves of my past. But it was nice to skip the expensive, crowded bar scene. I'm just not that interested in it anymore.

Before we made the fondue, Erin and I each wrote our own list of New Year's resolutions and then read them to each other (and to Mike, who opted not to make a list). I'm pretty happy with my list. Not sure how many of the resolutions will make it past the first month, but I'm going to make an effort.

Here's what I came up with for this year:

1. Go to church on a regular basis.
2. Money management (set up automatic bill payment, put some money into separate savings account, put money into 401K)
3. Get back to writing, in any form (blogs, poetry, journal).
4. Make effort to improve and maintain social life (including keeping in touch with friends who are NOT on Facebook).
5. Make better food choices.
6. Simplify and declutter.
7. Read books I already have before buying new ones.
8. Walk more.

In the coming weeks, I hope to be back on here (see resolution #3, lol) to elaborate on some of these and to update the blogging world at large about my progress (or lack, thereof).

And so it begins.

Out with the old.

2009-12-31T09:10:00.000-08:00

There are only about 12 hours left in 2009. I'm not entirely sad to see it go. I guess it wasn't the worst year I've ever had... certainly wasn't the best either. But overall, I can't complain. I got a new job, moved to a new apartment, rekindled some old friendships. My brother got married, so I have a new sister-in-law. Nothing truly spectacular happened to me. Then again, nothing awful happened either.

Right now I'm relaxing with a cup of coffee before I get ready to go out for the night. I've been trying to think of something deep and profound to write, but I'm blank. Lol. Last day of the year and I've got nothin'. Although, I have been giving a lot of thought to New Year's resolutions. I always say I'm not going to make them, and then at the last minute, I feel compelled to do it anyway. I think it's something about the "clean slate" feeling of a new year. Like opening a brand new journal for the first time and seeing all those blank, white pages just waiting to be written on. So for now, I have a list of resolutions in my head. I think I might put them in writing, but not yet. Perhaps tomorrow.

Goodbye, 2009. It's been a pleasure.

Simplify :)

2009-12-29T12:05:00.001-08:00

I haven't blogged in ages, but I've started a new project and I feel like writing about it will motivate me to follow through. We'll see. (Plus, I really miss writing. It's therapeutic.)

Lately I've been feeling overwhelmed by a lot of things: new job, money, apartment, physical clutter, emotional clutter. I decided that I needed to simplify my life. That sounds like a huge undertaking, but if I start small I can make it manageable. Baby steps.

My first "chore" was to go through my make-up, jewelry, perfume, and body lotions and get rid of what I don't want/need/use. Many of those things were gifts from former students, and I kept them out of guilt. It's hard to throw away a perfectly good bottle of body lotion... even if it's a scent I'll never use or a brand that makes my skin break out. So I threw away anything that was more than half empty and the rest went into a box. I'll figure out what to do with that later.

The next thing I did was sort out my new Christmas gifts and put everything away. I even took all the Christmas cookies that I got as gifts and put them in one container - eliminating all those little plastic bags made me feel better :) I went through the fridge and freezer and got rid of anything past its expiration date. I even went into the cabinets and organized the food. All of the baking supplies (chocolate chips, sprinkles, extracts, food coloring, cupcake papers) went into a clear storage box so that they're all together and out of the way.

I know I can't do it all at once. In fact, if I tried to do it all at once I'd get more overwhelmed and more stressed and I'd probably give up the whole project. So I'm going to make a plan for the next few days and then take some time today to let myself decompress.

So... the plan for the next few days is to go through my closet (specifically shoes and clothes) and to organize my desk and paperwork. I also want to go through my cookbook and plan out some meals, and then make my grocery list based on those meals so that I don't overbuy and clutter the fridge with stuff I don't really need.

I feel good about this. I hope I can keep it up.

I'm back!

2009-05-03T17:40:00.000-07:00

I'm so bad at blogging. I used to do this all the time, but now it's something that I rarely think about. So here's the deal. I'm gonna try blogging again, but you need to read it. And comment. Comments are key.

It's been quite a weekend. Turned out to be a long one, too. I took a personal day on Friday for a job interview (read more about that here), and had the rest of that day free, which is a rare and glorious occurence. Saturday was spent at my parents' house playing with the dogs (Tasha, of course, and Doug's dog Mabel) while I was trying to upload Quicken. That wound up taking much longer than I expected, because my computer decided to be a bitch and freeze every three minutes. Finally got things working and all was well with the world. I fully intended to go home, relax and go to bed EARLY, since I had to be up early today for Confirmation. And then Joe texted. He wound up coming over to the apartment around 10:30, knowing that I wanted to be in bed no later than 11:30. We wound up going for a 6-pack at 11:20 (Sam Adams Cherry Wheat, yum!), so needless to say, I did NOT make it to bed at a reasonable hour. Four beers and one shot later, it was 3 AM and the salsa music was cranked up on the laptop. Sadly, Sam went to bed before the dancing started. I'm sure she regrets missing out on the fun, lol.

Thankfully, I was not hungover when my alarm went off at 8 AM. Confirmation was held during the 10:30 Spanish Mass, and it was actually really nice. I've never been to the Spanish Mass before, but I definitely want to go back. The music was awesome! This was my first time being a sponsor for Confirmation... no wait. That's actually not true. My godsons were both confirmed at their baptism, so I guess I was technically a sponsor for them, too. Okay, so this was my first time being a sponsor for a Roman Catholic Confirmation. Pretty cool. The girl I sponsored is a former student. Hard to believe she's in 6th grade already! After the Mass, I was invited to lunch at the convent with the other teachers, the pastor and the bishop. By the time I got home, it was close to 3 PM, and I was exhausted! The rest of the day was spent watching movies... "Princess Bride," "Dirty Dancing," and now "Shrek."

And the best part? Tomorrow is a "professional development" day, which means no work! Gotta love it :)

Okay, I think that's enough weekend update for now. Later, gators!

Date Night

2009-02-13T16:46:00.000-08:00

On a whim, I decided that I was going to make tonight "Date Night." I have a date with myself. I decided to spend my night doing things that make me happy, just because I can. (And because I have the apartment to myself). So I stopped at Target on my way home and bought my favorite Bertoli meal (pork with corkscrew pasta, spinach and sundried tomatoes, in a creamy sauce) and some garlic bread. I also picked up a package of something that looked quite delightful... brownie bites. It's break 'n' bake dough that makes little bitty brownies. Sounded too good to pass up.

I also perused the entertainment section and bought a few things on impulse: "Chocolat" and "Mamma Mia!" on DVD, and a James Patterson book called Sundays at Tiffanys. (A quick sidenote: So many people RAVE about James Patterson, but I have yet to read any of his work. This one looked fairly interesting and will probably be finished in a few hours, lol. But I was in the mood for a sappy easy-read.)

When I got home, I threw on my most comfortable outfit: a pair of old sweatpants and a super cozy long-sleeved t-shirt. Sloppy ponytail? Check. Ratty slippers? Check.

I ate dinner while watching "Jeopardy" (best gameshow ever), saw the episode of "Seinfeld" where the gang goes to India for a wedding (classic), and now I'm baking my brownie bites and watching the beginning of "Fiddler on the Roof" on TCM.

(The brownies smell amazing...)

Plans for the rest of the night include a glass or two of wine with some brownie bites and a movie... perhaps "Mamma Mia!"... followed by a few chapters of a book. I'm currently reading The Geography of Bliss, but I might actually start the Patterson book. And I'm pretty sure I'll pop onto facebook and read some blogs.

And that's Date Night in a nutshell.

shiny new year

2008-12-31T12:05:00.000-08:00

Hello, all! I've been sitting around on the sofa in my pajamas, watching a "Twilight Zone" marathon and savoring a cup of coffee while I contemplate the passing of yet another year. I love the last day of the year. Gives me a chance to reflect on who I am, who I've become, who I want to be.

Overall, 2008 wasn't the best for me. It's been a stressful year filled with money problems, job hunts, and sadly, the destruction of my beloved car. But when I think about the big picture, it definitely could have been much worse.

While 2008 was nowhere near as kickass as 2007, it did have some good points. I still have a job that I love... this year has been rough, but I'm blessed to be part of such a wonderful community. In May, I found out I have a new addition to my family - Kyle's son Gabriel - who later became my godson. I got a sofa... lol... might not seem like a big deal, but it's SO much better than the futon. My brother got engaged in September, and I was asked to be in two weddings next fall (Doug and Jill, Becky and John). I had an interview with a very prominent school district, and I'm officially on their "list," which means I can be hired if there's an opening. Fingers crossed. And of course, I had some fun nights out with my friends. And lots of fondue!

And it was a big year for world events... the Olympics, Phils winning the World Series, the election of Barack Obama... a historical time to be alive.

Anyway, I'm hoping for good things in 2009. We'll see.

Christmas spirit... coming and going...

2008-12-07T12:01:00.000-08:00

Today I upheld a fine family tradition... a trip to Peddler's Village with my parents! It was the perfect day for it - cold and clear. Our first stop was lunch at the Peddler's Pub. I had homemade vegetable soup (mmmm....) and a roast beef sandwich. Then, it was time to window shop! I didn't buy much this year, but we visited all my favorite places: the nut & candy store, the stationery store, the hat store, the Yankee candle shop. We skipped the bookstore (too depressing to go to a bookstore when I don't have money, lol) and the gingerbread house display (the line was WAY too long and no one felt like waiting). We stayed just long enough to see the lights come on when it got dark. A truly spectacular sight - I highly recommended it if you've never had the chance to see it. As we drove home, it started to flurry. The perfect end to the day! We also drove past Shady Brook Farms and caught a glimpse of their drive-through light display. (I really want to get there this year. If anyone's interested in getting a car together - and maybe a few thermoses of spiked hot cocoa - give me a call! It's $20 a carload, and I have a big car.)

When I got home, snow was still falling, and it was enough to cover the cars and the grass. Since I was in the mood for Christmasing, Sam and I decided to haul out the holly... I mean, the boxes of decorations from the garage. We were practically giddy with excitement. We lit a holly scented candle and put on a DVD of "A Christmas Carol." We started unpacking boxes and putting things in place. Then Sam asked which box had the lights. We rechecked the boxes, but couldn't find them. So we went back to the basement to see if we had missed a box. Nothing. I went up and asked our neighbor if maybe she took it up with her boxes by accident, and I found out that when she went down last weekend to get her decorations, she saw that 2 of her boxes were missing. She had to buy a whole bunch of new stuff to replace what was gone.

She told us she wrote a letter to our landlord, so Sam decided to give him a call. He apparently apologized and offered to reimburse us for what was stolen. I took a mental inventory and figured out what was in the missing box: lights for the tree and the window (at least 5 or 6 strands), the star for our tree, the new tree skirt that I bought last year (that matches our stockings), the electric candles for the window (which have been in my family since I was little), the garland of tinsel for our tree (at least 6 strands). As far as I can remember, that was all that was in there.

So now we have to go shopping tomorrow (with money we can't afford to spend right now) and buy things to replace what was stolen. Ugh. It really put a damper on the evening.

In retrospect, it could have been much worse. It could have been our tree, or our ornaments... but it's just so frustrating. And we have no way of knowing how the boxes went "missing." They're stored in a garage which is bolted shut from the outside and padlocked from the inside. Our neighbor had a friend who was storing things down there, so it's possible she took it. Our landlord's nephew has a key... maybe he took it. I just don't know why anyone would want our Christmas decorations.

So our fun-filled evening ended with much cursing and depressed sighs. And now I'm watching cheesy Hallmark channel Christmas movies and drinking my second rum and coke. Meh.

Gracias. Merci. Danke. Arigato. Obrigado. Xie xie.

2008-11-27T11:57:00.000-08:00

This hasn't been a very good year for me... or so I'd like to think. It's really more along the lines of "things haven't been going my way this year." But today I want to force myself to step out of my bitter-box and really reflect on the good things I have in my life. So... I present to you my list of Things for Which I am Truly Thankful. In no particular order.

Family. Including the dog. And the extended family (cousins, second cousins, godsons, etc). Maybe I should have listed extended family before dog... lol.
Friends... the ones I see every week and the ones I don't get to see as often as I like. They all keep me sane.
My job and my co-workers. The pay is bad and I often feel underappreciated, but the truth is... I don't think I'll ever find another "work family" like this one. I will truly miss them when I eventually leave.
Weddings. I bitch about "always a bridesmaid, never a bride," but I'm thankful that I have friends who have found happiness. And also thankful that they want me to be a part of their happiness by standing with them on their wedding day. (But I'm not so thankful for the closet of bridesmaid gowns I'm collecting...)
My students. I teach them... and they teach me. It's pretty much even. They make me smile when I'm having a bad day. They tell me I'm the "best teacher EVER," and I believe it coming from them. I may be single, but I get more hugs, hand-holdings, "I love you's", and random gifts than many of my coupled friends. Can't get that kind of love from an office job.
My health. (No explanation necessary.)
Booze. (No explanation necessary here, either.)
The apartment. It's not so bad, compared to some other places. And the noisy neighbors are... well, they're tolerable. Most of the time. Even though their TV is currently so loud that I can hear every note of the Thanksgiving Day parade.
My education. I'm lucky to have parents who impressed upon me the importance of learning. I've never once taken it for granted.
My boobs. They're nice.
The unique qualities that make me ME. And the fact that my friends and family love me because of (or in spite of) those qualities.
My faith. It gets me through when nothing else can.

Thank you. Seriously. And go be thankful yourself. It feels pretty good.

How I spent my Saturday...

2008-11-09T11:54:00.000-08:00

Today I went dress shopping with Jill and the rest of her bridesmaids. After hitting four stores and then discussing the wedding plans over dinner, I decided to continue the theme at home. I was in the mood to sit on the couch in comfy pj's and watch cheesy movies. So I chose "The Wedding Date," followed by "Father of the Bride." And I'm giving myself a pedicure, just for the sheer hell of it.

It's all good.

(And while we're on the subject, I have an alarming number of movies about weddings. I didn't realize that until tonight... The Wedding Date, Father of the Bride, The Wedding Planner, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Wedding Crashers, My Best Friend's Wedding... kinda scary, lol.)

Spooky.

2008-11-04T11:50:00.000-08:00

Thoughts and Observations on Halloween 2008...

Any girl prancing around in a blond wig and glittery dress was presumably attempting to be Hannah Montana.
Boys' costumes haven't changed much in the past 5 years: Spiderman, Batman, or some version of the Scream mask with all black clothes.
Older boys don't bother with costumes. They wear jeans and a sweatshirt, carry a pillowcase (or open backpack) and show up on your doorstep for free handouts. Sometimes there's a mask, but it's usually on top of their head, rather than covering their face. I think this is so they can get better view of the plethora of "sexy" costumes their female counterparts are wearing.
Which brings me to this... There were more 12 year old girls with fishnets and mini-skirts than I cared to see.
While we're on that... Joe and I had an extensive phone conversation about those particular costume pieces (while I was giving out candy, no less... lol). We decided that pretty much anything can be added to fishnets and a miniskirt to make a "costume." For example: add wings, and you have a fairy. Big hoop earrings and a bandana? A pirate! Wear horns and carry a pitchfork... devil! A tail and ears? Bunny! Doesn't take much imagination to create a costume out of that. (I've neglected to mention that my costume from last year was exactly that... fishnets and a miniskirt. Paired with a red hooded cape and a basket to become Red Riding Hood. Sigh. I've become One of Them.) But seriously... little girls and fishnets are a big no-no. That's what leads to 17 year olds with toddlers.
Speaking of mommies... it seems to be perfectly acceptable for a mommy to parade around the neighborhood with her itsy-bitsy little bundle of joy (clad in a cutesy-wutesy little costume) and hold out a treat bag. I'm talking 5 month old babies here. Pre-teeth. Who do these moms think they're fooling? I know damn well who's eating that candy. (By the way, my mom's rule of thumb is that the babies get Dum-Dum lollipops.)
Someone needs to teach kids some Halloween etiquette. Let's start with this: "Trick or treat!" It's simple. Three words. Some kids just walked right up to me, thrust their bag in my face and waited. No eye contact, no smile. And certainly no "Thank you," after the candy was dropped in the bag. And kids? When someone says, "Happy Halloween," it wouldn't kill you to respond.
Another word about Halloween etiquette. When someone gives you a piece of candy, it's not polite to respond with, "Is that it?" or "Can I have the other kind instead?" And it's NEVER acceptable to try to score an extra piece of candy by lying and saying your brother is in the hospital.
A word about older trick-or-treaters in general: once you reach high school, STOP. Seriously. You're too old to dress up and collect candy from your neighbors. Go to Halloween parties instead. I actually had three or four adults (not in costume) come up to my door with treat bags. They were walking with a group of children, so I guess they thought they deserved candy, too.

It's no wonder I felt the need to hit the bar after the crowd died down. Screw the Halloween candy... I was ready for beer and wings!

News :)

2008-09-11T08:48:00.000-07:00

My brother got engaged last night!!!

Congrats, Doug and Jill!!!

My afternoon, in haiku form.

2008-09-10T08:46:00.000-07:00

Haiku 1
My feet are aching,
And my throat is all scratchy:
Back to School Syndrome.

Haiku 2
Goldfish crackers rock.
They're so freaking addictive.
Like crack in a box.

Haiku 3
Sitting, wasting time,
I could be making copies.
Nah - I'll just go home.

requiescat in pace

2008-09-07T08:42:00.000-07:00

By now you may have heard or read about the police officer who died in the line of duty last night. Sadly, Officer Nazario was a member of our school family. Her daughter is a recent graduate of our school, and her sister (who is also a police officer) has a daughter (who I taught four years ago) in our 5th grade.

According to the news, Officer Nazario and her partner were responding to an ongoing car chase between another police vehicle and a 16 year old unlicensed driver in a Cadillac Escalade. The driver was also allegedly drunk. He plowed into the police car on the passenger side at such a high speed that both officers had to be removed with the Jaws of Life. Officer Nazario was killed... her partner (who was driving) was injured.

The 16 year old was apparently was being chased by officers because they suspected the SUV was stolen. He fled from the officers because he had escaped custody in Family Court last year and "didn't want to go back to jail." He floored it (they estimate he was driving between 50-70 mph), ran several red lights and then hit the car that Officer Nazario was riding in. He fled the scene on foot and was caught by police. I just read that he's going to be tried as an adult.

It's always a terrible tragedy when an officer is killed in the line of duty, and this is no exception. But there are so many things about this particular case that make me angry.

The boy was only 16 and already had a record. How sad is it that by the age of 16, he had already done enough to get in trouble with the police?
If he was indeed drunk, how did he get access to alcohol? Was it stolen? Did someone buy it for him? Was it readily available to him at home?
He was driving a car without a license. How did he have access to a car? Who gave him the keys? Was it stolen? Or "borrowed" when some family member wasn't around?
He ran from the scene. Apparently he thought he was man enough to drink underage, man enough to drive an SUV without a license, man enough to get involved in a car chase with the police. But he's not man enough to own up to murder. When the shit finally hit the fan, he ran like a scared little boy. And maybe that's all he really was in the first place. Maybe all the things he did were just a way for him to get noticed.
And while we're on that subject... where the hell were this boy's parents? A 16 year old who has a record, who drinks, who drives recklessly without a license... how does it manage to get this bad without someone in his family noticing and doing something about it?

It's a terrible waste of a life. The city has lost another officer... a girl has lost her mother. Please pray for the family of Officer Nazario, especially for her daughter Jazmin. And pray also for the family of the murderer. They have a very different cross to bear this weekend.

Drowning.

2008-09-05T08:41:00.000-07:00

My first week back at work went very well... until today. Some of you may remember when I blogged about the paycheck gap that we had to endure this year. If you don't, here's a summary: our salary is split into 26 pay periods a year. Our 26th pay fell on August 15th. Our first pay of the new year doesn't come until September, so we didn't get paid on August 29th. That meant three weeks between paychecks instead of two.

However, I mistakenly thought that our first paycheck of the new school year was scheduled for today. In all the confusion, I forgot that we're paid biweekly, so the first pay cycle of the new year ends NEXT Friday. So I actually had a FOUR week gap between paychecks. But because I thought I was getting paid today, I had budgeted everything based on today's pay.

When I found out that we're not getting paid until next week, I kind of lost it. I drove home in tears, in a panic about the bills that are due (or overdue) before that next pay comes. I've spent the past few months stretching my money, paying the minimum on bills, buying non-brand name products, using any coupon I could find, turning down opportunities to go to the bar, and transferring whatever money I could afford from my savings account. I literally have no money left to fall back on. I'm at rock bottom and it scares the shit out of me. I had to call my mother and ask to borrow money. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do.

This is not the life I wanted. I worked my ass off to get my degrees and my certifications so I can have the career I want. Despite all of that, I couldn't get hired by a decent school district, so I have to spend another year in the Catholic school... living paycheck to paycheck, cutting corners, making sacrifices. And now I have to take on a second job. It's just not fair. There are people who dropped out of college who get paid more than I do. I went to college so that I wouldn't have to work retail, so that I wouldn't have to work weekends and holidays.

I'm just so tired.

**Edited later**
I just re-read this blog and realized how bitchy I sound. I wanted to clarify, just for the record... I didn't mean to imply that I'm better than someone who didn't finish college or that I deserve more than they do or that working a retail job is bad. And I know I'm not the only one who has ever been in this position. I was just really upset when I wrote the blog. I threw a very public self-centered pity-party and didn't feel like being politically correct. Hope I didn't offend anyone.

Smoooooth.

2008-09-03T08:39:00.000-07:00

I know I'm having money issues... and I know I should prioritize my expenditures. But I had to go to Target for some work stuff today and I picked up a pack of Schick Quattro replacement razor blades. I can't handle the nicks and cuts anymore. I need four blades. I need a pivoting head. I need moisturizing strips with aloe. I need a smooth shave, damnit!!!

Plus, I get paid on Friday. So I'll consider it a little gift for surviving three weeks between paychecks. Tee hee...

The internet is fun!

2008-08-28T08:34:00.000-07:00

Three cool links for you to enjoy...

I started posting on my teacher-blog again. Feel free to pop over and read about my job, if you're so inclined. http://dreeschalk.blogspot.com/

Where the hell is Matt? Do you care? Probably not, but this guy travels around the world to do a jig in as many countries as he can. Go watch the video of him dancing. It's a riot. http://www.wherethehellismatt.com/

Ever wondered what you would look like if you were a teenager in the 50s? The 70s? Now you can find out! Go yearbook yourself! http://yearbookyourself.com/

Have fun!

wishful thinking.

2008-08-18T08:24:00.000-07:00

Things I plan to do once I have money. In no specific order.

Get the oil changed in my car.
Buy "Simpsons" seasons 4-7 on DVD.
Get a bottle of Jagermeister... my freezer door is empty without it!
Schedule an eye doctor appointment... and get new glasses.
Finally see "The Dark Knight." But it will probably be out of theaters by then.
Buy refill blades for my Schick Quattro razor. The cheap ass razor I bought in an attempt to save money has given me nothing but nicks and cuts. Damnit.
Rebuild my savings account, which is rapidly depleting.
Buy new clothes. I desperately need some!
Save up for a REAL sofa. I need to get rid of the damn futon.
Get a bunch of pics printed so I can work on some scrapbooks.

I'm sure there's more I can add... but this is good for now.

Some stuff.

2008-08-16T08:21:00.000-07:00

Just a few random notes about things I've been up to... nothing special...

I've officially given up on the job hunt for this year. I sent one last application two weeks ago, and have yet to hear anything from the district. And it's that time of year for me... I usually head back into my classroom two weeks before school starts so I can set things up. This year I wanted to get an earlier start. Partly because I'm bored sitting at home, and partly because when I packed everything up in June, I sorted things into two groups: things that are mine, and things that belong to the school.

(Sidenote: It took me months to sort the books in my classroom. I can't even begin to estimate how many books are in that room. I had at least 5 milk crates full, 6 computer paper boxes full, and two bookshelves full. All of the milkcrates and 2 of the boxes are my personal books paid for with my money over the past 8 years.)

So anyway, I knew it would take me longer than usual to weed through all the piles and boxes this year. I went back a few days this week and got a lot of stuff done. I'm going back next week to finish up. Then hopefully I can spend my last week of "vacation" doing lesson plans and making copies for the first few days of school.

In other news, I made it through an entire summer without seeing the beach once. Damn gas prices. Oh well. Maybe next summer. On the plus (?) side, I think I've seen pretty much every episode of "Jon and Kate Plus 8" and "Full House." And I've been to the library twice. I read a TON of books this summer. Most of them were chick lit romance novels, not quality literature. That's my summer indulgence. Well, at least I got to read.

Last night I went to Mass with Tim and Michael (Feast of the Assumption). We went to a lovely church in Camden for a Latin Mass. The Mass was beautiful, as was the music, even though it's a little hard to follow in another language. But I've done that before... in addition to the Latin, I've heard Mass celebrated in Spanish (at the parish where I work), Ukrainian (at several different churches), French (in Montreal) and once in Polish. It's pretty cool to experience something so familiar in a different language. Tonight I'll be going to Mass again (to fulfill my Sunday obligation), but I'll be going to the Ukrainian church that my aunt and cousins belong to. Their Saturday night Mass is said in English, but it follows the Eastern rite, so the format is a little different from the Roman Catholic. Nothing like broadening my horizons.

I guess that's all for now. It's time to tackle my laundry and start cleaning my bedroom. Oh, joy...

One world, one dream.

2008-08-09T08:19:00.000-07:00

I just spent 4 1/2 hours watching the Olympic Opening Ceremony. It was pure bliss. I'm not an Olympic junkie - in fact, sometimes it gets on my nerves when I find out that a show I want to watch has been bumped by game coverage - but there's something special about an Olympic year. Especially the opening ceremony.

I won't bore you with the details of this year's ceremony in Beijing. If you watched it, you know how amazing it was. If you missed it... well, that's your loss. My favorite thing about the opening ceremonies is that they're always unique. By watching, I learn a lot about the host nation and I get a feel for their fashion, tradition, culture and history. I love love LOVE the Parade of Nations. All the athletes marching through the stadium in matching outfits... some in traditional costume, others in trendy suits with kicky berets (ahem, Team America). Everyone is giddy, snapping pics, waving. I just love the energy. And then... the lighting of the torch. It's all good. It's all very, very good.

As far as the games go, I like watching some. This year, I'll probably try to catch gymnastics, swimming, diving, and maybe some basketball. And then I'll skip some of the other games (weight lifting, track, judo). I'm a big fan of watching the medal ceremony... the flags and the national anthems... the tears. I don't even care which country wins, lol.

I think, overall, what I like the most about the Olympics is the sense that all of the nations in the world can find one thing that they agree on. And they manage to put their weapons down and play nice for a few weeks (at least in the host country). Makes you wonder why they can't take that mentality and apply it to other things.

Anyway. That's all I have to say about that. Just felt like sharing with you. Feel free to share back... that's what the comments are for.

Project: organization.

2008-08-06T08:15:00.000-07:00

I've decided to make a New Year resolution! No, I haven't gone off the deep end. I know it's August, not January. I'm thinking in teacher terms... a New School Year resolution! I figure, people make New Year resolutions because they want to improve something about they way they live. So I'm going to make some New School Year resolutions to improve the way I teach.

'Tis the season... stores are a-buzz about Back-to-School sales, and teacher websites are filled with Back-to-School tips, tricks and ideas. When it gets to this point in the summer, I start getting antsy about going back to work. I start to miss the kids and the classroom and the routine. To help pass the time, I go through pictures from previous years to see how I set up my room and what kind of projects I did on the first day of school. Then I hit some teacher websites for new ideas. I pull up my file of old ideas and add the new ones to the list. And finally, I go through the revised list and color-code it according to my needs (by subject, by season, etc). Yes, I AM a dork. I freely admit it.

Now, onto the resolutions.

Stay organized!
Keep desk clean. It should NOT be piled with papers, projects and miscellaneous odds and ends that don't have a home. I want to be one of those teachers that has a plant and framed family photos on her desk.
Keep a binder... possibly two. One for parent-teacher communications, one for schedules, lists, calendars, etc. Keeping everything in binders means less loose papers on my desk.
Declutter!!! I don't need to save everything! Sort things into piles: throw away, give away, put away.
Plan ahead. (This will be the hardest...) Lessons, assessments, projects. It will make my life easier in the long run.
Don't volunteer for as many things as I have in years past. I don't get paid overtime for these things, and it takes away from my "me-time."
Don't feel bad about not volunteering for everything. When you add up all the things I've done in the past 7 years, I think I'm entitled to some time off.

There are a few others, but they're more specific and are probably boring to those of you who don't teach. Anyway, it's just a jumping off point for me. I think I can do it.

still relevant today :)

2008-08-02T08:11:00.000-07:00

I was looking at my old teacher blog tonight (because I'm home alone and BORED!) and I found a post from August of 2006. I thought I'd share it with you, because it still holds true, two years later:

Misunderstood (8/14/06)

Today is the first day in a long time that I haven't had camp or class to go to. A totally free day with no obligations. I had a conversation with a friend, who works an office job. When I told him I had nothing to do today, he said, "Must be nice... I wish I had your job!"

"Oh really?" I replied. "You know, it's not so easy being a teacher. I do a hell of a lot of work."

"Like what?" he challenged. Surely he did not know the Pandora's Box he had opened with that seemingly innocent question. Wow. Where to begin? The rest of the conversation went something like this...

"On a regular work day, I get to school at 7:30 AM and don't leave until 5 PM (even though we're only required to stay until 3:30). On special nights, like Back to School Night, Parent Teacher Conferences, or Open House, I stay at work until 8 PM. On those days, I don't eat a single meal at home. Three Saturdays during the school year, I drive back to work for our Family Unity Mass. Because I'm expected to keep up with education credits, I've been taking grad school classes during the school year for the past two years, which means I'm in school for a three-hour lecture one or two nights a week after a full day of teaching. On the nights that I am home, I'm doing grades or planning lessons or making something for my classroom. In the summer, I work summer camp to make extra money (because Lord knows I don't make enough) and I cram in as many grad school classes as I possibly can, so that I won't have to take as many during the school year. Two weeks before school starts, I go back to my classroom to start setting up for the new school year. I don't get paid overtime.

"Now, that might not seem like a lot of work to you. But consider this: I don't sit at my desk all day. In fact, I couldn't sit at my desk even if I wanted to, because it's usually piled high with papers and books and projects and notes that need my attention. I spend my day teaching an average of 20 six- and seven-year-old children who, combined, have more energy than my morning mug of coffee provides me. Speaking of which, teachers don't have 'coffee breaks,' or even 'bathroom breaks.' I use the restroom when and if I have a break... after I make my copies, call some parents, meet with the teacher I'm mentoring, or whatever other errands I need to run.

"And before you tell me that teaching six-year-olds sounds like fun, let me assure you that I have seen and heard things that you would never see or hear in an office building. Things that my college professors never taught me. Being a teacher doesn't mean my job is limited to teaching. I'm a mediator, a cheerleader, a nurse, a secretary, a banker, a story-teller, a singer, an actress, a psychologist, a mind-reader, a janitor, an exterminator, a chef, a comedian, a librarian, an artist, an author, an editor, a lawyer, a mother, a hair-dresser, a catechist, a trip-planner, a magician, a puppeteer, a scientist, a judge... the list goes on. And if you think I'm exaggerating about these extra duties, I could tell you stories about the bodily functions I've had to deal with in my room... vomit, blood, snot, tears, spit, pee, poop... all cleaned up without so much as flinching (or puking myself), and while keeping a classroom full of children engaged in another activity.

"It's my job to take non-readers and turn them into readers... and hopefully, into book-lovers. To take children who can only write their names and transform them into authors. To get them to understand how to tell time, count money, read a graph, add two-digit numbers, estimate, and skip count. To teach them how to get along, respect others, treat people fairly, walk away from fights, believe in themselves. I'm personally responsible for the educational development of all twenty children. Just me. So it stands to reason that I feel personally responsible for the students that I cannot reach.

"I've done the math. I know what I make compared to those in other professions. If you took the going rate for baby-sitters and multiplied it by 20 children, 7 hours a day, 5 days a week, it'd be more money than I'd make in five years.

"I LOVE my job. I can't imagine being anywhere else, doing anything else. I just wish people would stop making assumptions about our profession.

"So... do you still want my job?"

One day at a time.

2008-08-01T19:40:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd post with some updates, since I was pretty upset in my last blog. First and foremost THANK YOU to everyone who offered support, advice and money-saving tips. It was very much appreciated and helped remind me that I'm not the only one who's had to deal with this.

To that end... since my last post, I've been breathing a lot easier. I haven't experienced the headaches or anything in a few days, so that's a good sign. I made a few changes in the way I handle my stress, in the hopes of preventing any more panic attacks. Every night I take some "me-time" that doesn't involve thinking about money. It could be reading, watching TV, doing a survey, whatever. I also started making lists. I'm a list-maker by nature anyway. They make me feel more organized, which makes me feel like I'm in control, even if I'm not. And when I feel like I'm getting overwhelmed, I stop what I'm doing and take deep breaths. It works wonders.

My money situation hasn't improved drastically since last we spoke... but I'm dealing with it. I've come to terms with the fact that I'll be spending another year in the Catholic school (unless a miracle happens in the next two weeks), and I'm trying to get excited about the new school year. I'm getting into "teacher mode"... thinking about activities and projects for my new class. That keeps me occupied. Also, I've applied for some part-time work. Keep your fingers crossed for me. I could use the extra money.

Anyway, I'm gonna keep this on the short side for tonight. Again, thanks for talking me out of my tree. I needed it.

Harder and harder to breathe.

2008-07-26T19:38:00.000-07:00

I need some help from anyone who's in a position to offer advice. Even if you're not in a position to offer advice. I don't care. I just need someone to tell me anything that might calm me down a little.

I'm having money issues. I know some (or all) of you have been in the same boat before. My current problem is that I'm trying to live off of my Catholic school salary, which isn't stretching as far as it used to. When I moved out of my parents' house last year, I still had a decent amount of money in my checking account and a good amount put away in savings, and I was pretty comfortable. But over time, my checking account depleted... and I had to dip into my savings to make ends meet.

You know the whole story about the job hunt... I've been blogging about it for ages. I haven't had any luck finding a new job for next school year, so I'm back in the Catholic school again. Not the end of the world... I still have a job, etc etc. But I was pretty convinced that I'd have something by now. And every time someone asks about it, they say the same thing: "Oh, I thought for sure you'd have a new job by now." I heard that twice last weekend and it really got to me. I think that's what set off the panic. I was sure that my degrees and my experience would be enough to get me hired at some fabulous (and better paying) school district. What I didn't think about was the thousands of college grads who would also be looking for work this summer. A teacher's salary is determined by education and experience. It costs less to hire a teacher fresh out of college than it does to hire me.

On top of that, our last paycheck for this past school year will come on August 15, and our first check for the new school year will be on September 5, which means I have to go 3 weeks between checks instead of 2. It doesn't sound like a huge deal, but when you live paycheck to paycheck, it can be. I'm really hoping I don't have anything major to pay for in that time.

So the failed job hunt and the pay gap have me pretty upset. On top of that, I have bills due and our fridge is practically empty. I don't have enough money for social events or extras. Everytime I think about it, my chest tightens, my throat constricts, and my head throbs. (Is that a panic attack? If it is, I've been having them for the past few days.)

Like I said, I know I'm not the only one who's been in this boat. And I'm sure there are people who have been worse off than I have. But this is the worst I've ever been and it's freaking me out.

So here's where the advice comes in. I need to know if anyone has any tricks for saving money, stretching paychecks, cutting corners or anything along those lines. (I'm already looking for a second job.) And I desperately need some advice on how to stay calm. I can't deal with the panic.

Thanks in advance. I hate sounding dramatic and needy... and I hate airing my money issues here on myspace. But I just don't know what else to do.

updates...

2008-07-17T19:36:00.000-07:00

Well, friends... it's mid-July. Normally, this is the time of year when I start getting back-to-school fever. Not because I miss work or anything... or course not. Not even a little bit. (Well, maybe just a smidge.) But mostly because this is the time of year when all the stores start advertising back-to-school sales, and I get the urge to stock up on goodies for my classroom. But this year is a little different. I have no idea where I'll be in September.

As most (or all) of you know, I've been job hunting for awhile. Since last summer, to be exact, but my trip to Australia got in the way of that. Anyway, I started updating my paperwork again this past February and by April I was sending out resumes and application packets. (Applying for a teaching job is like applying to college... I blogged about it awhile back if you're interested. Which you're probably not, unless you're a teacher. In which case, you'd already know the process, so forget it, lol.)

Since I have no summer job, my mornings consist of searching 4 job-finder websites and 21 local school district websites for available positions. Between April and now, I have sent resumes/application packets to 8 different schools/districts. Out of those 8, I've heard from 2 districts. I had an interview with the one school district last week (which went well), and I got a form postcard from another school district (no positions now, but they hold my resume for a year).

I'm starting to get worried. I'm well qualified, I have great experience, and all my paperwork is in order. So why haven't I heard back from other schools? Is something wrong with my resume? Sigh.

On the plus side, I still have a job to fall back on. It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. I have to be back in my classroom in mid-August to start setting up, so if I don't get another job offer before then, I'll have to give up on the job hunt for this year.

Keep some fingers and toes crossed for me.

Mnohaya Lita!

2008-07-07T19:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the christening of my godson's son. For the record, my godson Kyle is actually my cousin's son... which I think makes him my first cousin once removed. Which would make his son Gabriel... ummm... I have no idea. First cousin twice removed, I think. Complicated. Anyway, the christening was held at St. Mary's Ukrainian Church... no matter what Kyle's faults, at least the boy decided to baptize his son in the Ukrainian church. He was well trained, lol.

The christening was scheduled for 11 AM (which is more like 11:30 AM, Ukrainian time). When I got out of the shower at 10 AM, I saw that I had 3 missed calls, all from Kyle. I called him back immediately.

"What's up?" I said.

"Well... I'm in a bit of trouble," he replied.

Yeah, what else is new? "Okay, what do you need?" I asked.

He hesitated. "A godmother."

Yes, you read that right. The godmother that Kyle and Natalie had chosen for baby Gabriel called at 9:30 the morning of the christening and BACKED OUT. She didn't want to stand in front of people. She didn't think she was mature enough. (I got news for you, kiddo... no one involved is mature enough...) She asked Natalie (the baby's mother) if someone else could stand up and hold the baby for her... and Natalie informed her that it doesn't quite work that way.

So Kyle called in a favor... and of course, I accepted. It's always an honor to be chosen as a godparent. Even if I wasn't the first choice. I really don't mind that I wasn't their first choice... they're young, they have friends... and I'm already a godmother. But in all honesty, anyone who backs out of being a godparent less than two hours before the ceremony probably wouldn't be a very good godparent. So maybe it worked out for the best. Like my aunt said, God works in mysterious ways.

If any of you have ever been to a Ukrainian mass, you know how LONG it is. (And anyone who's been to St. Mary's... Sam, Tim, Miguel... you know how much their priest loves to talk.) A normal mass is about an hour and a half. Add the Baptism, Confirmation and reception of First Communion, and we're looking at a two hour ordeal.

(Sidenote, for those not familiar with the Ukrainian rite: in our tradition, a child is baptized and confirmed at the same time... and as of a few years ago, they also receive their First Communion the same day. Communion in the Ukrainian Church is a cube of bread soaked in wine... not the dry host that you receive in the Roman Catholic Church. So the baby gets the wine until he's old enough to have the bread.)

The ceremony started in the back of the church with baby Gabriel dressed in a onesie and wrapped in a red cloth. During this part, the parents and godparents renewed their baptismal vows. Then we proceed to the front of the church for an anointment of healing, which is followed by the actual baptism. Gabriel's onesie was removed and he was placed in the baptismal font, where water was poured over him. He was wrapped in a white cloth and handed back to his mother.

At this point, Natalie and I got to take Gabe back to the crying room to change him into his cute little christening suit (and... darn the luck... we missed Father's homily during that time). Once we returned, the ceremony continued. Now Gabe was wrapped in the white cloth again for his chrismation (which is when he was anointed with chrism... his confirmation). Then we were FINALLY allowed to return to our pew for the rest of the mass.

At communion time, Kyle took Gabriel up to receive the his First Communion. According to Kyle, Gabe seemed to enjoy the wine... typical Silva, lol. The mass continued... and then finally, blessedly... it was over, and everyone sang "Mnohaya Lita," which is a blessing for the baby, translating to, "God grant him many happy years." And then it was really over. Except for the taking of pictures. SIGH. And THEN it was over. (!)

Then we did what every good Ukrainian family does after a ceremony... we ate. And it was good. (Mmmm... kielbasa... )

So now I have two godsons. My godson and my godson's son. Crazy stuff, huh? And isn't the baby a cutie???

I’m wide awake, it’s morning...

2008-07-02T19:29:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure that's the name of a song. Or an album. Not sure. Either way, I actually am wide awake right now. I've been up since 8 AM. Of course, the reason I woke up so early hasn't arrived yet. We're having kitchen leaks again, right above the sink. When I woke up yesterday morning, the entire counter was soaked and water was dripping onto the floor. Last night the landlord's nephew came over to check it out and he thinks there's a cracked pipe somewhere. He said the landlord would be over today between 8 and 9 AM. It's now after 10 AM, and no sign of him. Surprise, surprise.

So let me tell you about my summer. One of my pet peeves is when people find out I'm a teacher and they say, "Oh, it must be so great to have your summers off!" Let me assure you, dear reader, it is NOT all it's cracked up to be. Once I'm off of my normal schedule, I get summer insomnia. I don't do anything all day, so I'm not tired at night. As a result, I'm up til around 2 or 3 AM and then sleep until 10 AM. I wake up, eat breakfast, watch TV, read, check email. Lather, rinse, repeat. I've never been so bored.

I tried looking for a part-time retail job, but didn't have much luck. My mother told me to try the mall... but... sigh... I'm 30. I just can't go work in the mall. The whole reason I went to college is so I wouldn't have to work in the mall anymore. (Sorry if I've offended anyone who DOES work in the mall... I did it for years, and it's just not for me.)

I've also been spending about an hour a day looking for a new teaching job. I have several application packets out there... and currently one interview scheduled... but otherwise, no luck. I do a daily search on careerbuilder, craigslist, monster and PAREAP (employment website for teachers in PA). I bookmarked websites for every school district in the area and I check those every few days to see if any new job postings are up. And once a week I check the Inquirer. It's frustrating.

Anyway... can you believe it's July already? This time last year I was in Australia. Actually, at this exact time, I was in the air, somewhere over Hawaii. I wish I had the money to travel again this year... but it is what it is. It's probably for the best, though. If I went away, I wouldn't be able to job hunt. And if I get a new job that pays more, then I can plan a decent trip. Somewhere out of the country. I miss flying. (This from the girl who used to get nightmares two months before an hour long flight to Orlando.)

(It's 10:30 AM... landlord just got here. He always has a way of making these kitchen leaks sound like they're our fault. "I don't understand why it does this. I've never had this many complaints before." Fucker. The water is coming from our ceiling, everytime the upstairs neighbors wash their dishes or run their garbage disposal. By what stretch of the imagination is that our fault?)

The holiday weekend is fast approaching. So where are all the cookouts? The BBQs? The backyard pool parties? I feel like things have been strangely quiet this summer. But I actually do have some weekend plans. I'll most likely be at my parents' house on Saturday to use the pool. And Sunday is my godson's son's christening. I'm sure that'll be quite the event. Whenever a new Silva is welcomed into the world, it's always a cause for celebration. Or is it alarm? (Joe, maybe you know the answer to this... lol...) Anyway, I'm sure there will be plenty of pictures of the precious bundle of joy next week.

Well... that's all from my end. Time to go check email, watch TV, read and look for a job. Ugh.

(PS - I just looked it up. "I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning," is an album by Bright Eyes.)

Girls’ Night Out... just like the good old days :)

2008-06-29T19:26:00.000-07:00

Last night I met up with my friends Renee and Heather to hang out in the city. Like I said in my last blog, I used to work at a charter school with these two girls. You know what happens when three teachers have access to alcohol? Let the good times roll, lol.

We met at Renee's house and then walked to a cute little corner pub called Ten Stone. We started the evening by chatting and catching up on what's been going on since we last hung out. We sat at the bar next to a very random guy... young, early 30s... who spent his night reading a book, writing in his journal and reading Far Side comics. Oh, and snickering at our conversation. I think the books were a cover. He was definitely more interested in what we had to say. We also grabbed dinner there, and since mine was late coming out, the bartender took one of my drinks off the tab. Sweet! The bar was really fun and neighborhoody... I'd definitely go back again. Hell, the jukebox played Weezer! And Billy Ocean!! And GENESIS!!!

Onward and upward. We walked into the Rittenhouse area and found a bar called Vanga. It's next door to Bar Noir, which we used to frequent back in the day. There used to be a really hot bartender there named Seth. Turns out he's working at Vanga now, so we tracked him down. We haven't seen him in about 4 years... so when we sat down at the bar in front of him he said, "Hoooly shit." Blast from the past, lol. We had several very expensive drinks there (nothing in Center City is cheap), flirted with Seth , and then took a cab to The Piano Bar at 20th and Arch.

The Piano Bar was an excellent way to end the evening. We had one last drink and sang along to all sorts of fun songs. (Sadly, the piano man did NOT know "I Touch Myself." Sigh.) I have plans to go back again soon.

Anyway, it was an awesome night. We didn't wind up going dancing, which was our original plan, but we managed to have a very well-rounded bar tour... from comfortable neighborhood pub to upscale, trendy club to hole-in-the-wall piano bar.

We drank, we laughed, we drunk texted. It was all good.

A story

2008-06-26T19:22:00.000-07:00

Let me preface my story by saying that I tend of think of my life, and the people in it, in terms of chapters. Starting with nursery school, neighborhood friends, grade school and high school. Then college. By then, I had severed ties with most of my high school friends, with the exception of Rick and Erin, and I met a few new college friends in class and choir (other Erin, Erica and Regina). Somewhere between college #1 and college #2, Erin and I drifted apart, and I started hanging out with Inara, Angie and Rob... and then by the time I was in college #2, I added my roommates to that mix. In the summer, I worked at Dress Barn, where I found still more people to hang out with. After college, I lost touch with some of that group and got my first real job teaching at a charter school. That's where I met Heather, Kara and Renee. By now, I was a "grown up," in that I had a car, a real job and I could legally drink in bars. I stayed at the charter school for a year, after which I got my current job at the Catholic school... where I met my good friend Bridezilla and later, Amy. And it was around that time that I reconnected with old high school friends, plus a few extra faces (Miguel, Heather, Joe) with more soon to follow (Dooner, John).

It amazes me how some things can come full circle. People that I thought I'd never talk to again now have prominent roles in my life, such as drinking buddy, roommate, or best friend (again... Erin and I picked up pretty much where we left off). And myspace has put me back in touch with Shelly (Dress Barn), Erin and Erica (college #1), Angela (college #2), Rick, Angie and many, many others.

Anyway, my story... other Heather called me today to see if I wanted to go out Saturday night. We got in touch with Renee, and she suggested dancing. That might sound innocent, but let me assure you that in the past, "going out dancing" consisted of copious amounts of alcohol and extremely late nights. Not that I'm complaining. We used to go into the city and pre-drink at Renee's apartment... then walk over to Bar Noir or the Irish Pub, depending on our mood. Some nights we cabbed it to Envy or Five Spot for a more clubby dance experience. We were regulars at a few bars... bartenders who knew us would have our beers opened before we could get from the front door to the bar. Once we had drinks, the dancing would start... hours of dancing. Our night would end after closing hours, hanging out with the bartenders or going to an after hours club. We'd end up at Wawa or a diner for breakfast somewhere in the wee hours of the morning. Then back to Renee's apartment to sleep... followed by MASSIVE hangovers. And we did that pretty much every weekend. Sometimes twice a weekend.

All good things must come to an end... and that's what eventually happened with us. We lost touch with Renee... Heather moved... you know how it goes. So even though Heather and I still kept in touch, that chapter of my life had pretty much closed. I got back in touch with Renee last year, only to find that she was pregnant and engaged! So now she's a proud mommy and wife, and hasn't been out drinking since before her daughter was born. Until now. Saturday night the three of us are going out dancing. It should make for an interesting night. I'll bring my camera.

I’m melting...

2008-06-08T19:19:00.000-07:00

Is it just me, or does anyone else HATE the weather right now? It's so disgustingly muggy and humid. Ugh. Bring back spring.

I spent my weekend doing a variety of random things... but had more fun than I expected to have. On Friday night, I chaperoned our 8th grade graduation dance. Afterwards, I got the urge to go out. It was a hot night, and a cold beer sounded perfect. So I cranked up my dance music on the drive home and started texting people. Joe wound up coming over around 11:30 to hang out. I had no idea what we would end up doing (last time he came over, we were up til 3:30 drinking and watching "The Producers" on On Demand, lol)... but we had a very amusing evening/early morning excursion that included Pabst Blue Ribbon, 40s of Olde E and Colt 45, old school gangsta rap (Coolio, Snoop Dogg, Ice T, Kris Kross, Bell Biv Devoe, Sugar Hill Gang...), a trip to Joe's secret underground lair (filled with union workers and their chicks, lol), followed by a drive up and down Torresdale Avenue at 4 AM playing several rounds of a game called, "Guess the Hooker." Good times, lol. I couldn't have planned it if I tried, but it was quite entertaining.

On Saturday morning, I was rudely awakened by my landlord working in the apartment upstairs. It was about 9 AM and I didn't get in til around 5:30 AM... so you can imagine how thrilled I was to be awake. Ugh. At any rate, my landlord stopped down later to replace my window (which only opened from the top). He put in a new window AND an air conditioner! So now I can sleep comfortably this summer!!!

Then I headed to my parents' house to help them give my dog a bath. It's a three person job, trust me. By the time we were finished, I was a sweaty mess... and covered in black dog hair. But Tasha looked fabulous!

Today was our 8th grade graduation. I put on a yellow polo shirt and white skirt with sandals in the hopes of staying relatively cool... but to no avail. There's no a/c in church. Just fans. And they didn't do much to keep us comfortable. After the ceremony, my friend Silvia and I decided to grab lunch. We thought about heading to Freddy & Tony's for some good Puerto Rican food, but then decided on a local bar & grill. I had my heart set on a Corona, but then we found out the cook wasn't there yet (wtf??), so we left. In the end we wound up buying some pinchos from two women who had a tent set up on the corner. We ate them in the car while we chatted. Classy lunch, huh?

Tomorrow my kids have the day off, and I get the whole day to work in my classroom. Usually that's a good thing, but it's supposed to be 99 degrees tomorrow. Two fans and six windows won't be enough to cool off that room. Joy. But on the plus side, there are only 5 days of work left until summer vacation! Yay! Then I can find a summer job and work on my time off! Yay! (That second "yay" was pure sarcasm, you know...)

Okay, friends. Off to bed in my cool, air conditioned room. Later, gators!