Things My Beagles Know

Or... Maybe Not

2010-08-12T16:53:00.003-04:00

So I just read my last couple of posts and the last one said something about having less than six months before my next one. Yeah, so about that...

It's interesting how not into blogging I am anymore, and it seems to be a common thing. I haven't even checked the blogs in my favorites in several months, but today I took a look. I'd say a third to half of them are no longer posting. For some of them it's been about as long as it has been for me, and others have signed off more recently with a farewell post.

I can't say that I'm ready to log off for good just yet, but I might be headed that direction. It's not that I don't have stuff to post about... far from it (I'll get to that). I blame Facebook. I make all my inane observations on there now. I also blame Google accounts. I use an old Yahoo email address for this blog that doesn't contain my real name so, to log into it I have to log out of my "actual" Google account. And Google won't let me change my address on this blog to my GMail one. It's just annoying.

So... for now, the blog stays active... well, that's kind of a relative term considering the infrequency of posts!

So what have I been up to?

I had to fight to keep my job again this spring due to budget reductions. Luckily it never came to a vote (at least it hasn't yet and school starts in under 3 weeks), but that consumed my energy for a while.
Luke was home on leave last month for a little over two weeks. We were constantly on the move... visiting family & friends and doing a little traveling of our own. Luke spent lots of money by buying a truck (which is currently in my driveway but will be going to my parents' house to be stored for the winter) and something sparkly (which is now on my left hand).
So now I am planning a wedding for next September. Luke will be back in the U.S. in the spring and will be starting a new job in Washington, D.C. I will be joining him there sometime during the summer. He hopes to get home for another visit this winter.
Of course, this means I will be looking for a new job in the spring, which is a little nerve-wracking because, while I always look good on paper, I have never interviewed well. And I have to put my house up for sale in the midst of a painful housing market. If it sells at all I will be taking a huge loss on it. I am almost planning on trying to find someone to rent it, but that is such a hassle as well.
Luckily the fur children are doing well and love their new dad... It was amazing how quickly they bonded with Luke... and how sad they were when he was gone.

So... another six months? I'll do my best.

The Times, They are a-Changin'. Well... Sort of...

2010-02-04T19:47:00.003-05:00

Yeah, so... It's been over six months. Let's recap briefly as there have been a few happenings since late July.

That pile of stuff that needed to go to Goodwill...? Finally ended up there on December 21. As late as I could possibly get it there and still use the deduction on my 2009 taxes. I am currently in another purging and simplifying phase. Hopefully I can get another carload there soon.
The new back door got installed in August. It took two trips by my parents because there were tools Dad didn't know he'd need, but it got done and it has made a HUGE difference in the temperature of my back room. It is so much warmer back there that I didn't bother to put the plastic film stuff over the windows this year. Of course, I still haven't got the second coat of pain on the door frame or painted the door itself yet. Eh, can't rush things!
The super-secret summer project which was put on hold in July has now been deemed unneccessary.
Luke... ah, Luke. Where to begin? Guess I'll just jump right in as say that I have finally found the love of my life... and it turns out that I've known him for 20 years. The trip to Germany was fantastic and to say that we hit it off is putting it mildly. Everything was just so comfortable between us from the beginning and yet the sparks were flying. I've heard people say that you just know when it's right and I never believed it because I hadn't ever experienced it myself. Well, now I know it's true. At least it is for me and Luke. The downside? He leaves for Turkey in about two weeks and will be there for 15 months with only one trip home in there somewhere. He was hoping for a new position that would have had him back in the U.S. in June, but it fell through. He doesn't know yet where he will be going after Turkey, but wherever that is, I intend to go with him.
Weight Watchers has been going well. At one point I was down about fifteen pounds, but I've stalled a bit in the new year since I haven't really been following it or running. I'm back up a couple of pounds, but am determined to get back on the wagon soon. I may even run a 5 or 8K race next month.

Stay tuned. Perhaps next time will be in less than six months.

Who Are You Again?

2009-07-26T12:05:00.002-04:00

Seems this summer has not been a fruitful one for blogging. And it's not just me. Some of my standard reads have been a little sparse as of late as well. A couple of them have new babies, so that's totally understandable, but even those who don't have been a little scarce. Makes me wonder if the charm has worn off for many of us. But enough editorializing...

I was really busy this summer, right up until my party. Then I think I lost all my motivation to get anything done. You'd think that the end of the summer would be enough of a deadline for me to launch into high speed, but not yet anyway. I still have about five weeks left. Some years that's half the summer, but this year it's well past the halfway point as the kids don't return until September 8.

So, what have I been doing with my summer? Well...

I took part in a garage sale with some girls from work and got rid of a bit of stuff, which started me on a purging kick, but I've somehow stalled. I've sorted out bags of clothes for Goodwill from the dressers and my bedroom closet, but haven't yet gotten to the cabinet where I keep my sweaters and sweatshirts in the spare room, the closet in that room, or the coat closet. I also have the two boxes of items left from the garage sale that will be going still sitting in my living room. Honestly, it would probably take me about two more hours and I'd have everything sorted and a list made (for tax deduction purposes) so it could get out of here.
I still haven't gotten a new backdoor put up, but maybe in the next couple of weeks Mom and Dad will make it up here and that will get done.
My super-secret summer project has, so far, been unsuccessful and is now being put on hold temporarily. I could explain the reasons, but then it would be obvious what the project is.
I attended a gathering of my high school band friends a week ago. We've had these in the past and they are always a lot of fun, but this year's was not very well attended. I did get to see G. and W. and I was able to talk very kindly with them. W. even asked how to make the pudding shots that I brought to the party and I graciously wrote out the recipe for her.
Another friend from high school was home on leave from the military at the same time. Luke wrote to me in mid-June to see if I'd like to get together, so he came to visit two weeks ago. We had a great time reminiscing and getting caught up on each other's lives. He stayed over (on the couch) and we had lunch together the next day. I saw him again at the band reunion and we've started a regular correspondence. I'm going to visit him over winter vacation (he's in Germany), and we are going to spend New Year's in Paris! I finally get to use my new passport! Is there potential...? Perhaps. Technically he is an ex-boyfriend as we were "going together" for about a month when I was a sophomore and he was a freshman... you know... those relationships where you're too young to actually go on dates so instead it's just a lot of hand holding and kissing when no adults are around. He's always been a very sweet guy, but I can't say I was all that attracted to him back in school. Now, however... damn. The years have been good to him and he is a fine looking man. The main issue is the distance. He's in Germany until February, then will be going to Turkey for fifteen months before he will be back in the U.S. That's nearly two years, and even then he won't be anywhere terribly close. But I suppose that, if things have developed between us at that point, minus the physical contact, we'll have a better idea if it's worthwhile for me to go where he is. At that point he'll only have about three years left before he can retire.
I rejoined Weight Watchers last week. After I saw a picture from the band reunion I decided it was time. I've gained back all the weight I lost four years ago and then some over the last couple of years. I had to buy new shorts this summer because I couldn't get into any of my old ones. What's funny is that people tell me all the time how I don't need to lose weight. I know I don't look as heavy as I am, but it bothers me that I can't wear the cute little tops I was wearing two years ago. I guess I should be grateful that I carry my weight fairly well, but I'm also concerned for health reasons. My BMI is only one point from being considered obese! How is that possible? At any rate, I'm down two pounds already, so I'm off to a good start. I'd really like to be down twenty-five for my trip in December (twenty-two weeks away) and it's definitely possible. Just got to stay focused!

That's it in a nutshell, I guess. Time to get some exercise in for the day.

Summer Theme

2009-06-18T10:00:00.004-04:00

Oh yes, this summer has a theme. It's just not a theme that I'm telling the internet about yet. And, to be perfectly honest, I'm not exactly sure what the theme is just yet. I mean, I know what the theme revolves around, I just don't know if this summer will be just about focusing on this goal, or if it will actually be attained in the next few weeks.

In other news, I've been incredibly lazy so far this summer. I've been on vacation for almost 2 weeks and I've done very little that is useful. I've watched lots of movies. I've been reading a little bit. I've spent a ridiculous amount of time on Facebook. I have started running again, but only a few times... I don't think I'd classify it as having gotten into a routine yet. And I've been sleeping really late. Like until noon or later most days. Today I got up at 9:30. I've beyond impressed with myself. Of course, just because I've been up for an hour and a half doesn't mean I've done anything yet. Except post on my blog of course (long overdue).

I'm having my annual summer gathering next Friday so I have quite a few things I want to get done before that. Some of them I'm sure won't get done, but most of them should be doable. They are relatively minor things like getting flowers planted and cleaning. I had hoped that my dad would be able to get my back door replaced before the party, but he got hurt a couple months ago and is moving a little slower. He and Mom will be up before the summer is over, though, so I just have to be patient. Perhaps I should make a list of the things I want done... I do love to cross things off a list!

I'm also planning a trip home for Father's Day this weekend. I haven't been home since... Easter I think? So it's time. It'll be the first trip since I got the wireless invisible fence, so I'll be interested to see how well it works there. The beagles have been pretty good with it at home except for one mishap involving a neighbor's collie. I guess Eddie decided the shock was worth it to make a new friend. That's why I don't leave them unattended in the front yard... it's just there so they can be up there with me. And at Mom and Dad's I intend to still go outside with them, but it will be really nice to not have to leash them.

Okay, starting my day. Time for a run, then a little flower gardening perhaps.

Weird

2009-05-19T19:28:00.002-04:00

I got a Facebook friend request today from D., which I accepted. I harbor no ill will toward him, though I regret having lost my virginity to him. Not sure who I would have wanted it to be instead, but I suppose that's of no consequence.

The thing is that, D. was a bit of a man-whore back in high school. I didn't realize this until after we'd done the deed, of course, but it's true. But even with that, even he is happily married with two children now.

Somethings are just not fair.

Caffeinated Blogging

2009-04-28T23:05:00.002-04:00

In an attempt to eat a little healthier I've been reducing my caffeine intake a bit over the past few weeks. But today was a fundraiser for one of our school groups at Barnes & Noble and I had to support them. I didn't have a list of books to buy (for once), so I though the least I could do was to have a frappucino from the cafe.

Six hours later I still feel like I'm on speed.

It's all good. I've been meaning to post anyway. I can't touch on everything because I do need to make an attempt at sleep tonight, but here's what's been on my mind tonight.

I stopped at PetSmart to pick up filters for our library fish aquarium and stopped to look at invisible fencing products. Turns out they are 20% off right now, so I came home to do some research. I'm pretty sure I've talked myself into purchasing a wireless system that will reinforce the backyard fence, allow Copper and Eddie to be in the front yard with me if I'm washing the car or mowing, and will be portable so I can take it to my parents' house with us when we visit. It's a lot of money though, and I know I shouldn't be spending it, but it really seems to be a great system with some excellent reviews.
Another stop tonight was at Target where I finally bought my DVD of Twilight. I wanted the Target version because it included a free download of the movie from iTunes. I will be able to take Bella and Edward wherever I go. I now realize exactly how big of a fanatic I am. The only thing is that it takes something like 6 hours to download everything, so I will have to leave my laptop on all night tonight.
Over the course of today I went from feeling like something I really want was never going to be possible, to thinking that I might be mistaken, to wondering if it might not be already happening.
Only 27 days of school left. The library closes in two and a half weeks.
I don't think I've typed this fast in years.

So Much to Say

2009-03-29T20:16:00.003-04:00

Okay, I admit it. I've been a bad blogger. I have excuses, mostly lame, some not. Mainly I've just been lazy. I've also not wanted to talk about some of the things occupying my thoughts. Which didn't really leave me with much interesting stuff to talk about.

M.'s death last month hit me hard. As hard as it hit me, I can't even imagine what it's been like for his family and close friends. I've been in closer contact with some people we had in common and I plan to stop and visit with his mom and dad when I am home for Easter in a couple of weeks. His death has also caused me to do some evaluation of my life. One of those "life is too short" realizations has spurred me to move ahead with a decision that I've been putting off for years.

And that decision is the one that I'm not going to discuss with the blogosphere just yet. The people who are closest to me in my real life know what it is and have been overwhelmingly supportive. Hopefully I will be in a position someday soon to talk about that decision here, but for now it needs to remain private.

Work has been tumultuous. Our district offered an early retirement incentive as a cost-cutting measure which was accepted by eight teachers. So everyday is about conjecture as we discuss what positions will be be replaced and who might potentially be moving into those positions. I've also had some inside information (that I'm not supposed to know about) that my media position might not be secure, so that has also caused some stress. Thanks to seniority, I'm not in danger of not having a job or anything, but there's a chance I will be back in a classroom next year. That doesn't bother me as much as thinking about what that change will do to the media program. I know I've only been in charge of it for two years, but I already feel such ownership over it and hate to think of what will likely happen to it without support.

I'm working on streamlining my life, particularly my home. I have way too much "stuff" that I simply don't need, or at least I don't need it on a daily basis. So I'm in the process of making some decisions about what needs to go into a garage sale or to charity and what could potentially end up in a storage facility. If I only had a basement...

I'm also trying to get back into working out and watching what I'm eating. I was doing pretty well with exercise until I went to New Orleans back in January and lost my momentum. I've also been hovering about the same weight for the last couple of months after taking off about five pounds right after the holidays. I still need to take off about twenty more to get back to where I was in the fall of '07, which was my lowest weight. I made it to the gym both yesterday and today, which is a start, but I'm usually so tired after work during the week that I never want to go. Hopefully I will have established the beginnings of a habit this weekend that will continue into the week. I know I won't make it on Thursday because we have conferences, but maybe that can be my goal... if I go Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, I know I get to take Thursday off!

Well, it's a start.

Loss

2009-02-09T22:18:00.002-05:00

Someone very dear to me passed away last week. I hadn't talked to M. for many years... I'm not even sure how many. Perhaps fifteen or so. His health problems had started already before the last time I saw him and steadily deteriorated in the years since.

M. was my first love, my first kiss. We dated twenty years ago when I was a freshman and he was a sophomore. We were together for seven months before we just kind of drifted apart. The only person I've been with for longer than that was my ex-fiance. Even after we broke up we were good friends throughout high school, but lost touch after that. I knew that he got married. He was no longer married when he died, although his wife was at the funeral. My assumption is that his health put too much strain on the marriage.

I knew that M.'s health was bad and he's been on my mind a lot lately. I'm friends with his brother and sister-in-law on Facebook and had sent a note to J. (his brother) a couple months ago asking that he let M. know that he was in my thoughts. Other than that I never contacted him. I wanted to, but I wasn't sure what his condition was and only found out recently that he was no longer married... I didn't want to step on any toes.

M.'s sister-in-law sent me a message Friday night telling me he had passed away and that his funeral was Saturday. Luckily I got it early enough that I was able to make the two-hour drive back to my hometown so I could attend. I couldn't not be there.

And now I'm overcome by the memories and the feeling of loss. I keep laughing over the happy memories and funny stories that friends have been sharing and those that I am keeping to myself. And I find myself tearing up repeatedly when I think of how he is gone. I keep kicking myself for not sending him a letter or calling when he was still alive. I know that he now knows that he was in my thoughts, but it doesn't make it any easier.

And I can't help feeling that I shouldn't be feeling such loss. M. hasn't been an active part of my life for seventeen years. But the attack of memories are making it feel like yesterday. And I know I'm romanticizing my time with him because, let's face it, ultimately we DID break up. But for some reason I am feeling grief for the loss of M. like I have for no one else. I'm just feeling a little lost right now and that's about all I can focus on.

Top Ten Things I Never Thought I'd See or Experience Until I Spent a Weekend In New Orleans

2009-02-01T21:07:00.000-05:00

Honorable Mention: Miniature pony being walked down Bourbon St.

10. People walking down a city street with beer and other cocktails in plastic cups.

9. A guy painted head to toe with silver paint.

8. Strip clubs and sex shops every other door.

7. Bikini-clad girl with leg warmers and platform heels dancing in a doorway.

6. Beads left in the trees from previous years’ Mardi Gras.

5. A Leprechaun and his pot of gold.

4. Visiting CVS 5 times in a 36 hour period.

3. The nearly 2 inch gap under the door of our hotel room.

2. Guy humping the railing of his balcony with his penis hanging out of his pants at 9 p.m.

And finally...1. Being offered a drink by a drunk chili cook-off champion on the way back to the hotel. Shee-it!

Too Late

2009-01-30T14:32:00.000-05:00

As I sat in O’Hare International Airport eating my tasty Big Mac for lunch, I took a few moments to really observe my surroundings and to listen to the sounds around me. I found that the PA constantly repeated the same announcements over and over again. One of them was about not going through the security checkpoints with any prohibited items. Another was about the 3-1-1 rule. You know, the one about only packing 3 ounce bottles that fit into 1 one quart bag in your carry-on luggage. Anyway, it suddenly dawns on me… isn’t it a waste of time to continue these announcements at this location in the airport? I mean, anyone who is here is already way past security at either this airport or another. Seems a little silly to me.

And, just as an aside: The smallest bottle of contact solution I could find at the store was 4 ounces, but was labeled as “TSA compliant” so that’s what I packed. No one said anything, so I guess it was okay.

Why Bother?

2008-12-04T21:13:00.004-05:00

I regularly use my personal Barnes and Noble membership to order books for my library at school. This works fairly well, as I usually get 30-40% off the books that I order, but I do end up paying sales tax. I wouldn't pay tax if I ordered using a school account, but then I'd only get 20% off, so it comes out okay.

At any rate, the last time I ordered books, I pre-ordered the new book from J.K. Rowling, The Tales of Beedle the Bard, which was released today.

About 5:30 this evening, the UPS man rang the doorbell and I went to the front door to bring in the package. I was quite bewildered when there was not one, but two packages.

I'm not sure how it happened, but I received someone else's book in addition to my own. While the package had a shipping label with my name and address, the packing slip had the name of a woman in Ohio.

I briefly considered my options. I could simply keep the book. There was nothing to connect it to me, so I wouldn't get billed for the extra book. The rightful owner would eventually call Barnes and Noble and get her book. But I knew that was the wrong thing to do. I decided to call and report what had happened so that they could get another book out to the lady in Ohio sooner. I figured they would be grateful that I reported the mistake. They might even tell me to keep the book as it is probably not cost effective to send it back.

Well, they are sending me a postage paid envelope to send the book back, which is fine as it is not mine, but I'm still annoyed. Why am I annoyed, you might ask?

Because rather than being grateful for my honesty, I was given the third degree about my own order and spoken to rather rudely about the process for returning the book. While it was made clear that I would not be charged for the return (I better not be!), I didn't even get a thank you.

I don't get it. In this day and age of deceitful people, and yes, I admit that I considered saying nothing, you would think that a company would be grateful for a customer's honesty. It almost makes you wonder why one would bother to do the right thing.

But I still will.

The Saga of Eddie

2008-11-24T12:34:00.002-05:00

I feel incredibly guilty as I have known for over 2 weeks that I needed to do SOMETHING about that fence. I got complacent and was relying on simply watching Ed, either from the deck or the window whenever he was outside. Yesterday I came in the house for no more than 2 minutes, but that was more than enough time for him to make his grand escape.

Eddie has gotten out 3 times previous to yesterday. On the most recent of these, I found him myself after driving around for a half hour. The other 2 times, someone has found him and called me, one time within minutes, the other time it took about an hour. So, when it was already going on 2 hours yesterday, the dread really crept in. Yesterday was a fairly nice day and there were lots of people outside putting up Christmas lights, etc. while I was driving around. Once it got dark, people would go in and no one would be out to see my little guy. I was also worried that no one had called because Eddie had somehow lost his collar. If that happened, my only hope was that he'd be turned in to animal control in the morning and I could claim him there.

It got to be 10 p.m. and I was getting ready for bed when the phone rang. A couple had been out driving and had found Eddie in the road. Thank God for them. They stopped their car, blocking other cars from hitting him again. They had tried to call me once already, but I had missed the call because I had the water running in the bathroom and I didn't hear it. When I didn't answer, they had called animal control and the police. Once they got ahold of me, animal control said they weren't coming now that the owner was there. He was less than a half-mile from my house.

I'd been on scene just a couple of minutes when the first police car arrived... yes, I said the first. Must have been a slow night around here as eventually there were 3 on the scene! I guess Eddie CAN stop traffic... just a little late! The police officers were very helpful, finding the number for the emergency vet, and even calling for directions and to let them know I was on my way.

On the outside, Ed looked okay, just a few cuts and scrapes, but, of course, I was worried about internal injuries and broken bones. So was the vet. She was particularly concerned because he had scrapes on both his shoulder and his hip, designating that his whole body had been hit and not just one end. While her initial examination showed his legs didn't appear broken, she couldn't yet tell about his pelvis, and he seemed to have a lot of pain in his abdomen. I gave the okay to do blood tests and x-rays and waited the hour they said it would be before they knew more. The whole time I was thinking about what would be the limit... not only how much could I justify spending to put my baby back together, but also, would it be enough? Would he still be in pain and have lasting effects? If he would, I knew I'd have to make that most difficult of calls about what to do.

Once the x-rays and tests were done, the news was mostly good: no broken bones, and his bloodwork was primarily normal. One liver enzyme test was incredibly high, but she said that was normal for a dog who had gone through trauma, and that he would likely recover from that with medications and fluids. She did find a lot of bruising on his lungs, but, again, he should recover from it without a problem. The third concerning area was that she couldn't see his bladder on the x-ray, which could simply mean that it was empty, or it could mean that it had ruptured. Considering that the rest of his organs looked good, she though it was probably just empty, and I agree... he probably hadn't had much to drink in close to 10 hours.

I actually had the option of taking him home last night, but the vet recommended that he stay overnight so they could monitor him, keep him on fluids, and keep his pain managed. I agreed. They expected to transfer him to my regular vet this morning, but they feel that he will need another 24 hours of monitoring, and my vet's office doesn't have staff 24/7 like the emergency vet.

I had taken today off work, expecting to have to chauffer Eddie to the other doctor, but now I am using the day to fix the fence by placing brick pavers along the bottom of it. I have it about 1/3 of the way done and now need to go get more bricks. I need to do another 1/3 (2 sections) to feel really secure. The rest can wait until spring as it is not loose like the rest was.

So, please keep thinking good thoughts for my little boy; he should be home tomorrow. As I said in the spring when Coal got sick... "Here's where being a mom sucks!"

Fugitive

2008-11-14T18:44:00.002-05:00

This is getting real old, real fast.

For the third time in the last week, Eddie has escaped from the backyard and was not immediately found and coaxed home. There have been numerous other escapes, but I've always seen him in the neighbor's yard and been able to call him home. The first time was on Thursday afternoon last week when my neighbor let him out while I was at school for conferences. He was found by someone who called the number on his tag and my neighbor was able to go get him for me.

He escaped again Friday morning, after I thought I had blocked all the holes under the fence, but this time I was home. I walked around the neighborhood for nearly an hour in my pajamas, calling and searching for him before returning home empty handed. Luckily, he was found again by a good Samaritan who called me and I was able to go pick him up. Somewhere along the way he had found smells that I would have understood if we'd been on Mom and Dad's farm, but I didn't even realize could be found in the city!

I knew the fence was not yet secure, but I haven't had time to see about finding anchors for it. Instead I have simply watched Eddie whenever he has been outside. That's how I've been successful in catching him before he got out of the neighbor's yard. Tonight I made the mistake of taking my eyes off him for just a minute. I thought it would be safe since he had been so good for the last couple of days.

I was wrong.

When I went back outside, I found Copper sniffing around the backyard, but no Eddie. And then I heard him barking from what seemed to be about two to three yards away. By the time I was able to get Copper in the house, pull on shoes and a coat, and grab my phone and Eddie's leash, the barking had stopped. I decided to drive around the neighborhood, then parked for a while and walked, but there was no sign of him.

Until I had given up and was driving back to my house. Then, on our very own street, just a half-dozen houses from our own, I caught sight of some white spots moving around. I stopped the Jeep and began calling and, sure enough, there was my little beagle boy.

Tomorrow that fence gets fixed.

It's the Small Things

2008-11-10T19:35:00.003-05:00

As I drove home from work tonight, it occured to me that I couldn't remember if I shut the kitchen trash in the bathroom or not before I left this morning.

The trash can which contained nearly a week's worth of trash, including dust from the vacuum cleaner and two bacon grease soaked paper towels.

I tried not to stress, as there was obviously nothing I could do about it if I had forgotten. If that was the case, likely the damage was done a minimum of ten hours earlier. But I still knew that, most likely, I would have one hell of a mess to clean up when I got there.

Imagine my surprise, then, when I arrived home to find the kitchen trash... still upright, covered, and, for all intents and purposes, completely untouched.

My little boy might be growing up.

NaBloPo... NO!

2008-11-04T21:13:00.003-05:00

In case you hadn't figured it out already, I am NOT participating in NaBloPoMo this year. I did it the last two years, and I'm pretty proud to say that I completed it successfully, but both years it was downright sad by the end. As sparse as my posting has been over the past few months, I don't think I want to subject myself or anyone else to what I might be forced to post about if I attempted it.

Instead I'm trying to get through the week. Tomorrow and Thursday are parent-teacher conferences and my book fair is going on as well. We've done fairly well so far. Better than I would have expected, in fact, considering the state of the economy. We haven't reached the ultimate goal yet, of course, but there are still two evenings of parents being in the building. Historically, those are my biggest sale days anyway, so I still have hope.

I'm also going to be out of my classroom the next two days. I'm attending a conference as a district representative. It's really not all that exciting, but I don't want to give any more details that could compromise my anonymity. It just shows what a long way things have come since the Great Internet Witch Hunt of '06.

My sister came to visit this past weekend. She needed a little change of scenery and an opportunity to get away from her husband for a couple of days. It was nice to see her, but a little weird. "Jane" and I are six years apart in age, which is practically nothing now that we are older, but we've never been particularly close and I think she's always seen me as her little sister. It was kind of odd to be on equal footing with her.

Now I'm just looking forward to a nice three day weekend (no school Friday due to conferences this week) when I plan to become reacquainted with my bed.

Football Victory, Fire, Fights with Boys, Copper's Ears and Butt, and Other Forms of Procrastination

2008-10-26T20:49:00.006-04:00

1. Football Victory: My Spartans didn't let me down (for once). Yesterday they defeated our arch-rival Michigan Wolverines in the Big House for the first time since 1990. We hadn't beat them at all since 2001. I watched the game over at a friend's house with some others from work. We were supposed to go to another co-worker's anniversary party after the game, but apparently cheering on our team left us too tired. I was home and in bed by 10:00.

2. Fire: When I got home from work one day this week and logged onto Facebook, I found a friend's status message about a fire raging in his apartment and how the status of his cat was unknown. We exchanged a few texts over the afternoon, but he didn't hold out much hope for the kitty; his apartment was a total loss along with 9 others in the building (he says the fire started in his apartment, but I'm not sure of the accuracy of this as a cause has not been determined). Good news came later as his cat was found... wet, scared, and a bit singed, but no sign of smoke inhalation, so she should be fine. Also good news that he was insured, although it will not cover his losses completely, and, of course, nothing can replace the things of sentimental value.

3. Fights with Boys: All this week an argument has been brewing with my friend Richard. There's a lot of things that figure into it, but basically I'm sick of him not respecting me. It seems he can find time to spend with pretty much anyone else in his life, but not me. I know... it sounds like I'm being petty, but I swear there is just more that I'm not willing to discuss publicly. The thing is... it's now been three days since I talked to him and I'm just sad. I know I'm right in this, but I just wonder why boys have to be stupid.

But that's nothing compared to the news I got a week ago from my mom... My older sister is divorcing her husband after nine years of marriage. Apparently she's been unhappy for years and has just had enough. This also makes me sad. While he can be a bit of an annoying oaf, I like my brother-in-law, but I'm not the one who has to live with him. I know it's got to be hard for my sister to admit that her marriage is over. She's not the type of person who likes to admit failure in any area.

4. Copper's Ears and Butt: Copper had her routine vet appointment this week for her vaccinations, so I had budgeted in the expected $100 or so. Once her double ear infections were diagnosed, "excessively full" anal glands were expressed, and hookworms and tapeworms were treated (Eddie got a dose of treatment, too), it cost more than double that. She goes back in a week for a recheck on the ears, so that will be at least another twenty bucks. Did you know that the monthly heartworm preventative that I thought also prevented all those other worms actually only controls an infestation until it can be treated? Yeah, neither did I.

5. Other Forms of Procrastination: Yeah, I have papers I should be grading. I have sat on my ass most of the day watching shows on the DVR instead of grading them, or even cleaning the house (my typical form of schoolwork avoidance). The one bit of work I did get done is the laundry (although there is still a load waiting to be folded in the dryer).

I also stepped on the scale today. Holy crap. I did actually go running yesterday, which was a good start, but I guess I'm going to have to start watching what I eat again, too. I was really hoping to avoid counting points again, but I think it might have to happen. I'm at my heaviest weight ever. No wonder my jeans are so stinking tight.

Makes Me Wonder

2008-10-13T22:26:00.002-04:00

I was visited today by a book vendor that we've done business with for several years. He's a super nice guy and is usually able to cut me some pretty good deals on books we purchase from him. Today my aide asked him about a series of books that I was already planning on buying from another vendor, so I was a little annoyed at first. But then I told him I had a quote from this other company and he assured me that he could beat it. And he did.

He then proceeded to give me a great deal on the other books I was looking at ordering through him and he threw in a free book on the order (as he usually does).

As he was starting to pack up, he handed me a Halloween book as an additional freebie.

We continued to chat while he loaded books back into his containers and I ran into my office to make sure that I had received his emails with the quotes. When I returned to the table, he handed me yet another free book that I had been looking at.

I thanked him profusely as he was on his way, but I was left wondering...

Exactly how much are books marked up that our book vendor is able to give me such great discounts, beat competitors quotes, throw free books in on the orders, and still hand me two more free books as he goes out the door?

Petty?

2008-10-07T21:52:00.003-04:00

Recently there's been an explosion of Facebook usage by people who went to my high school. I hesitate to say my friends from high school, as quite a few of the people I've recently received friend requests from are people I don't even remember from high school. Some of them graduated two or three years after me, which explains things, but others claim to have been in my class and yet... nothin'. No memory whatsoever. I don't get it. I didn't go to that big of a school.

At any rate, one night a couple of weeks ago, I logged in and a newly added friend had a status update complaining about the class of '93's lack of a 15-year reunion this year. It also asked if anyone had seen G. As in my ex-fiance. Well, I couldn't help myself. I commented simply that, while I hadn't talked to him myself in quite some time, I knew of his whereabouts and vital statistics through his sister.

But I couldn't leave it at that. I decided to do a search for G. and see if, by any chance, he was also a Facebook user. Turns out he is. I sent him a friend request with a brief message about how the previously mentioned friend (who had been quite close to G. in high school) had been inquiring about him.

A few days later, G. replied to my message. He thanked me for putting him in touch with our friend and that that he'd also found our former band director (also on my friend list). But he didn't respond to my friend request. Yet he added both the friend who was looking for him and our former band director. When I looked again a couple days ago, I saw that he had also added another friend from high school (who I'm sure requested G., not the other way around), yet he has still not responded to my request. And we've sent a couple of brief messages to one another since then as well, so it's not that he's totally ignoring me.

I'm sure that G. has nothing against being "friends" with me on Facebook. He knows there are no bad feelings between us. But I'm sure that W. would never allow it. I don't get it, though. If anyone should be bitter in this situation, it would be me, not her. She won for God's sake! She's the one who married him and gave birth to his children. Not me. I just don't understand. I even requested her as a friend as well, just so that she knew I was not trying to do anything underhanded by contacting her husband without her knowledge. She outright denied my request. The one I sent to G. is simply still pending.

I don't understand how, nearly twelve years later (and they've been married for seven) she can still be so threatened by the connection I once had with G.

I've been known to be pretty bitter about some things that have happened in my life. But not one of them is a situation in which I was the winner. And nothing that happened over a decade ago even still makes the radar. I hope to God that I never develop that level of bitterness.

Wake Me Up When September Ends

2008-09-28T21:33:00.002-04:00

Another month has flown by, but this time I can't say that a whole heck of a lot has happened. It's been just back to work as usual. The year is going well so far. There haven't been any particularly notable events, either good or bad, as of yet. I think I like things that way.

On the home front, I still haven't finished my kitchen. I really thought I'd get started on the trim work this weekend, but I spent all day yesterday working in the yard and today was a house cleaning day. Two weekends ago I was laid out on the couch with the flu and last weekend my folks were at a local antique tractor show, so I went to visit them. I think next weekend is still open, so maybe that will be my chance.

The fur children are adjusting to me being back to work. I think that getting Eddie was very good for Copper. She is no longer confined at all when I'm not home and she doesn't even cry nearly as much when I leave. Eddie, on the other hand, must be confined still, at least for long periods. I've left him out of the crate for an hour or two and he's usually okay, although I sometimes find the recliner tipped over in front of the front door when I return. And sometimes my slippers go for walks. It's very mysterious.

Off to bed. Another exciting week begins tomorrow.

Running Out of August

2008-08-26T18:09:00.003-04:00

So many things I could have posted about this month, but I've really lacked ambition. So let's recap. Since I last posted:

Kitchen remodeling continued with a vengeance. My parents ended up spending one more night after I last wrote because I got an outrageous quote ($479) on tearing out my kitchen floor. They decided they would just stay one more day and we would do it ourselves. Does that mean I owe my parents that money? At any rate, this left me with only one day to paint (and it needed three coats to cover... I always thought of my kitchen as light blue... until I wanted to cover it) before the cabinets went in. Then I had a couple more days to get the laundry room painted before the flooring went in. The new appliances arrived a couple days later. Now there's been a bit of a lull for the past couple of weeks while I wait for the counter top and sink to arrive. That is scheduled for the day after tomorrow, when Mom and Dad will also return to install the dishwasher, hook up the sink, garbage disposal, and water line to the refrigerator.
I attended my very first major league baseball game, but I can't say that I watched very much of it!
Eddie, while still a very sweet little boy, has revealed his very deep naughty streak. If I leave him uncrated when I'm not home, I typically come home to trash strewn throughout the house, and my shoes tend to go for walks on their own (he doesn't seem to chew them, though, thank goodness). The baby gates that easily keep Copper contained mean nothing to Eddie and he happily travels from room to room hopping over them. I also have yet to find a place to put Coal's food dish where Eddie cannot reach it. Perhaps once the counter top is in... So now Eddie is crated whenever I leave the house. He didn't mind going in the first few times, but once I started being gone for more than a couple of hours, he stopped going in willingly. I try to praise him as I put him in, but it is still a somewhat forceful situation.
The Def Leppard/REO Speedwagon/Styx concert we were supposed to attend in April was finally held on Saturday... a great time was had by all. But I couldn't help thinking about how sad it was that groups with as big of names as REO and Styx have been relegated to being "just" an opening act. I was actually more excited about seeing those two groups than the main event.
Today was the big day... our first day back to school. Well, kind of. The kids don't come until a week from today, but it's still hard to face the fact that my summer vacation is over and it will be nine and a half months before it comes again. So what was the final theme? Well, I think it remains to be seen what will be the dominant memory for me, but I know of two contenders for the title. It might be all about the kitchen, but it might also be simply the summer of fun. I attended three concerts (and have one more next month) and a Tiger game, read book after book just for fun, watched lots of movies, and just generally enjoyed myself. It was great!

So there it is in a nutshell. Off for another fun-filled school year.

"So Much Joy in Life, So Many Pleasures All Around..."

2008-07-30T00:54:00.004-04:00

I only slept about five hours last night, after working fairly hard helping my dad tear out cabinets. Today we finished the job and moved all my appliances out to the garage where they will be out of the way of the cabinet and flooring installation.

I took a shower about 10:00 and then laid down to read a bit. I was pretty tired and figured I would be ready to sleep shortly.

I was wrong.

It's now almost 1:00 a.m. and I can't sleep to save my life.

My "bedroom" is currently relocated to my computer room as I offered my bed to my parents. As they are in their upper 60s (Mom) and early 70s (Dad), it is much easier for me to get up from and down onto an air mattress on the floor than it is for them. The air mattress is actually quite comfortable, and still queen sized so there is plenty of room for me and my furry children, so that's not the issue. And I'm obviously tired enough after having worked all day on only five hours of sleep (last night I got to sleep okay, but woke up at 5:00 a.m. to use the bathroom and couldn't go back to sleep).

So what's the issue with my insomnia? Just your garden variety case of not being able to turn my mind off. I keep thinking of all the things I need to do in the next few days. Once Monday gets here, the remainder of the kitchen project is pretty much out of my hands, but until then, we have some wiring to do, a heat/air register to replace and patch around, and more of the old flooring needs to be pulled up. And that's just tomorrow while my parents are still here. After that I have to finish patching, sand the patches, wash the walls and ceiling, and paint. I also have an electrical outlet and a light fixture to change. Oh, and did I mention that I need to move a bunch of the new cabinets around in my garage so that I can get to my painting supplies? Or the fact that, now that my kitchen has been completely gutted (I'll post a picture soon), I have no kitchen sink to wash up in after cleaning and painting? Or that all of my cooking for the next week and a half will have to be microwave meals cooked in my spare bedroom? Which is on the opposite end of my house from my garage, the current location of my refrigerator? Or that I can't even do laundry because the new flooring is going into my utility room as well, so the washer and dryer are also in the garage?

I wonder why I can't sleep.

**Title of post from "Who Needs Sleep?" by the Bare Naked Ladies**

Details

2008-07-27T22:10:00.004-04:00

I finally got started on packing up my kitchen today. This is harder than it sounds. I thought it wouldn't be a big deal... I mean, it's not like I haven't had to do this several times when I've moved from place to place. But this time is a little different because I'm not simply moving from one kitchen to another where I can unpack everything in a matter of a day or two.

Because my parents are going to be here for the next two to three days, I need to be able to feed them as well as myself. While the cabinets need to be cleaned out to start with tear out tomorrow, I will still have access to a stove until Tuesday or Wednesday and will need it for what I have planned for tomorrow night's dinner. So I need to keep out appropriate cooking supplies. Once the range has been moved to the garage, I will be without one for about a week and a half, leaving me to cook using only the microwave, slow-cooker, and George Foreman grill. Though I won't have appliances in my kitchen for quite some time, I will be able to move a few things into the new cabinets once they are installed (likely on Monday of next week).

But I digress. I have a habit of doing that.

I pulled the boxes to pack the dishes in down from the attic, but when I opened them up I got a bit of a surprise that had me very confused for a few minutes. The newspaper that packed the main box was The Michigan Daily from February of 1997. Well, considering that this is the newspaper of the University of Michigan (while I am a Spartan), I was pretty befuddled. I mean, my ex-fiance was a Wolverine, but why would I have newspaper from his college? The date was also a little odd... February of 1997 was when our engagement ended. Suddenly it dawned on me. When we were in college, I had lent G. an extra set of dishes that my mom had down in the basement. When we broke up, I demanded that everything he had of mine be returned... hence the newspaper from that college and that date in my dish box.

I had a bit of a laugh once I remembered the back story. It would be even better if I still had those dishes.

Meet Eddie

2008-07-12T21:18:00.003-04:00

This is my new baby, Eddie. He's a year and a half old and weighs about 27 pounds.

I've been thinking about getting another dog for a year or two, but it's one of those things that I had always put to the back of my mind. Some conversations and events this week caused me to start thinking about it a little more seriously. I was looking on Petfinder.com last night for dogs that the local rescues had for adoption and saw this picture that looked so much like Copper that it was uncanny (I'm not sure how long this link will work since he is adopted now).

The rescue that was caring for Eddie is usually at PetSmart on Saturdays, so I took the chance that he might be there and he was. He instantly came up to me wagging his tail when I walked up to his pen and he just stared at me the whole time, no matter where I walked to. The man who was fostering him was there, so I was able to ask him all about Eddie. He assured me that he is great with cats and kids and is just a sweet little boy. We walked around the store together and got to know one another. He was very easy to fall in love with, so he came home with me.

I brought him into the backyard first and let him check it out and get the message that it is where he needs to do his business (he is already housetrained, but I figure that it doesn't hurt to reinforce!). After a few minutes I brought Copper out, too, so they could sniff each other over. Copper had the hair sticking up on her back for a few minutes, but she quickly got used to him. For the most part they seem to know that the other is there, but they aren't too interested.

When we came in the house, I braced myself for the real scene... how would he react to Coal? And how would Coal react to him? I still remember the first night with Copper. She was in her crate in the living room while Coal and I were in the bedroom. Coal refused to even stay in the same room as Copper, instead opting to sit in the bedroom and hiss (and he is really not much of a hisser). It took four days before he would be in the same room with the puppy.

Luckily, this was not the case this time. Coal was a little wary of Eddie, and Eddie just carefully sniffed at Coal, but neither of them made much of a scene. They've both had numerous opportunities to check each other over and it seems to be a non-issue... what a relief!

I had to go back up to PetSmart after a call telling me that they forgot to give me his rabies vaccination certification, so I took both dogs with me. After dinner I took them both for a walk around the neighborhood and now we are all sacked out for the evening.

Afterall, it has been a very long, exciting day for the whole family!

"Once Upon a Time, Not So Long Ago..."

2008-07-10T22:05:00.002-04:00

Monday night I joined a couple of my co-workers for an evening with Jon Bon Jovi and friends. Damn... that man is ageless... and hot. We actually just went to a Bon Jovi concert in February, but the show was so awesome that, when we learned that they were coming back to the Palace in July, we shelled out for even better seats than last time.

I'm no reviewer, so I'll simply say this: a fantastic night with great friends, rocking with one of the best in the business.

And We Have a Winner...

2008-07-03T19:19:00.006-04:00

Not sure exactly how it will be phrased, but this summer will be something along the lines of the Summer of Kitchen Remodeling, the Summer of Home Improvement, or the Summer of Additional Debt Accumulation.

When I bought my house four years ago, I believed that I would live here for five or six years. When that time came, I planned on selling my house and buying a newer and larger house. I like my house and I love my neighborhood, but it is fairly small. It is only two bedrooms and I have very little storage space because there is no basement. So my spare bedroom is really more of a sewing/storage/junk room. It works okay because I rarely have house guests (and when I do it is easy enough to move things for a brief period) and it is just me and the fur children, so I don't have a great need for a second bedroom at this point in my life. But, of course, I hope that will change one day in the not-too-distant future. When it does, I certainly need to be able to eliminate the other purposes of my second bedroom. That is only going to be done through some massive cleaning and elimination of unnecessary items from my house, and I realize that.

But the other thing I don't particularly like about my house is my kitchen. It's not a bad place. In fact, many people comment on how cute and/or unique it is, particularly when they see it in pictures.

My kitchen still has the original 1950s metal cabinetry, and people will comment on its "retro" style (is it considered "retro" when it's original?). I will admit that, in pictures, it looks kind of cool. But when you look at it close up, you see how well-worn it really is. And, I admit that a very careful paint job might actually do wonders for it.

But aesthetics are not the only issue. If they were, I would deal with them. One issue is the dishwasher. Because people didn't have built in dishwashers in 1956, I have a portable one. I don't mind rolling it across the room to the sink on the occasions when I need to use it, but when it is not in use, it takes up a corner of the room. The other thing is that, due to the lack of counter space, I have my microwave on a separate stand, so that takes up a little more floor space in the relatively small room. Since I don't have a seperate dining area, my kitchen table has to go in the kitchen as well. Before you know it, there's only a path to get from one side to the other.

I know this part will sound silly, too. I want a side-by-side refridgerator that has water and ice in the door. It's ridiculous. But these refriderators are all larger than the one I currently have, which, as you can see, barely fits into the available space.

I actually have to open the freezer door in order to open the left hand cupboard above it. That can't be good.

So there you have it. All the reasons that a larger house would be welcome, despite my status a single person. Well, once I checked the local listings, I knew that a larger house is not in the forseeable future. I knew the real estate market was bad, but I guess I didn't realize how big of shambles it really was in. I paid just a hair over $100,000 for my house four years ago. Today, comparable houses in my area are listing between $80,000 and $85,000. There is no way I can afford to sell my house. So now I have to make it the house I want to live in for the next few years.

On Friday I ordered my new cabinets and countertop. They will arrive in about three weeks. Prior to installation, my dad will be coming up to tear out the old ones. Once the new cabinets are in, the countertop people will come out to make a template, then it will be two to three weeks until that is installed (along with the kitchen sink!). In the meantime, the new floor will be laid (and also into the utility room, which currently has commercial carpeting) and the new appliances will be delivered. Once the countertop and sink are installed, Mom and Dad will return to do the plumbing, hook up the dishwasher and refridgerator water lines and install the microwave over the range. Everything should be completed about the time I go back to school in the fall (or hopefully a little before).

So that's how I found my theme for the summer of 2008.

I Work Well Under Pressure

2008-07-02T20:59:00.002-04:00

I've always known it. I think I wrote some of my best papers in college the night before they were due. So here's a quick rundown of all that I accomplished in the 32 hours immediately preceeding my party on Saturday.

Beginning at noon on Friday, I:

Helped in the selection of a new staff member at work.
Did some home improvement warehouse shopping (more on this later).
Did my grocery/party munchy shopping.
Made Jello shots.
Steam cleaned my carpets.
Cleaned my spare bedroom and moved the cat litter box in there from the kitchen.
Slept for eight hours.
Picked up The Host from the library.
Bought mulch, firewood, and ice for the party.
Trimmed the backyard.
Finished trimming the backyard by hand after string trimmer ran out of string.
Scrubbed patio umbrella.
Assembled backyard firebowl.
Baked brownies.
Placed new mulch in flowerbeds and around lilac bush.
Created party playlist on iTunes.

This was probably the most productive 32 hours in my entire summer so far. So I guess the moral of the story is, if I want to get something done, I need a deadline.

Excuses, Excuses

2008-06-24T21:05:00.003-04:00

Why must I make excuses for who I am and what I enjoy doing?

I had dinner last night with Drew and his girlfriend. It was fantastic to spend time with them and get caught up on each others' lives. After dinner we went to see a movie and then for yummy smoothies. The vast majority of our dinner conversation was a lot of fun. But then there was that hint of judgement.

Drew asked me what I was planning to do with my summer.

"A whole lot of nothing," I replied.

"I know that's what you're doing right now, but it's only the beginning of summer. What are you going to do with the rest of it?"

"Umm... more of the same."

"Really? Nothing?"

"Well... of course I have a few little things I want to accomplish around the house, but for the most part, I fully intend to just read a lot and watch movies."

Drew let it drop after that, but his point was made. Apparently, I am supposed to accomplish something with my summer. And if I don't I'm some kind of failure.

Why isn't it okay for me to just be this summer? In the past I've taken classes, moved, done house projects, trained a puppy, and traveled. While I would like to have some fun this summer (and get a few of those house projects done), I don't see what's wrong with being allowed these weeks to do what I don't have time to do during the school year. Yes, I know I just wrote a post doing a little minor griping about my need to define this summer, but my main priorities are to read as many books as possible and trim my Blockbuster queue down to a little more reasonable length.

I hope that's okay with everyone.

The Summer of... (taking suggestions)

2008-06-20T21:24:00.003-04:00

The past four summers have all had very distinct themes. Or sometimes two themes. But themes none the less.

2004: The Summer of B

Of course, 2004 could just as easily be categorized as the Summer of Home Ownership as I had just purchased my house and was getting used to all the fun (and annoyances) of having my own home. And it was just as much the Summer of Copper. My sweet little girl came home with me exactly four years ago yesterday, and that summer was a time of adjustment and joy that she brought into my life. But, for some reason, when I think back to 2004, I immediately think of B. and the time we spent together that summer. Well, I'm not sure it can really be classified as time together as time spent in each other's presence was actually quite limited. But, if you count Internet time (and who here doesn't??), we spent most of the summer together. It was not unusual for B. and I to spend close to the entire day chatting on AIM. The moment I got out of bed in the morning, I would log on to see of he was there (and he usually was, waiting for me to arrive), and we would chat for hours. Sometimes we would only sign off as it got close to five p.m. and his freedom would come to an end. Then we would check back in around ten or eleven and chat for anywhere from two to four more hours. I'd go to bed and the entire cycle would start all over again in the morning.

And we all know how well that turned out, don't we?

So why do my thoughts immediately turn to him still, even though two other, very remarkable events also consumed that summer? I think it's because I still have those other two things, and not only do I not have B., but I don't have anything that even closely resembles what I had with him either.

2005: The Summer of Grad School (part 1)

In 2005 I voluntarily gave up a great deal of my summer freedom in pursuit of higher education. Once I finally decided what I wanted to get my Masters' Degree in, I also wanted to get it done. So I enrolled in three graduate courses for the summer term... nine credits... a full-time load. Of course, it was great to be able to say, at the end of the summer, that I was already a quarter of the way done with my degree, but it was difficult at times to have to turn down offers of sitting by the pool, and going out to dinner. I particularly remember having to head home immediately after Fourth of July fireworks because I needed to study for an upcoming cataloging exam.

2006: The Summer of Hell

This was the year that I thought my life as I knew it was over. I was facing tenure charges for stating my opinion via my blog and MySpace page on my own time. Who knew that teachers don't have freedom of speech? Had they been successful in their quest, not only would I have lost my job, but it would have been very difficult for me to get another one. Districts do not, as a rule, hire teachers that have been dismissed from their previous positions. While it's highly unlikely that I actually would have been fired, I'm not sure what I would have done if I had been. This is all I know how to do and anything else that I've ever been interested in doing would require a whole new degree. Kind of hard to finance that when you're halfway through working on one already and you don't have an income.

Oh, yeah, and on top of all that stress, I was still working full-time on my Masters' Degree. But by then I was somewhat used to that level of work since I had done it the summer before, and taken six credits each term during the school year, too. Plus it kind of paled in comparison to the rest of the nightmare that was my life.

2007: The Summer of Hawaii

I don't know that I'd say that I never thought I'd go to Hawaii. It's not like it was something I'd completely dismissed, but it wasn't really something I thought about either. So when the opportunity arose to go to such a stunning locale with one of my best friends, I jumped at the chance. It was, perhaps, not the wisest way I could have spent all that money, but I don't regret it for an instant. I'm well aware that the trip itself was only a week and a half of my summer, but it seems like everything I did for weeks leading up to departure was prepare. I thought constantly about what items I should purchase to take with me, what things needed to be done to ready my house for my absence, and how traumatic it might be to my babies to have me gone for such a long stretch.

It's hard to believe that it's been nearly a year since the trip. It seems like every day something happens that triggers a mind trip back to the islands.

So now it's 2008...

I realize that I've only been on vacation for two weeks, but so far I haven't a clue what this year's theme is going to be. In past years it has been crystal clear by this point of the summer, so I'm feeling a little lost right now. I suppose that I should see this as a good thing... there is no event that is tearing my life apart right now, which is certainly an improvement over two years ago.

I guess I'm just hoping that something will happen to make this summer a memorable one. I guess I better be a little more specific.

Roots

2008-06-13T21:24:00.005-04:00

I think that my ass may be growing roots into the couch.

I've been on summer vacation for a week now and it's kind of ridiculous how little I've done with the past seven days.

Day 1: Mowed the lawn. Sat on the couch and watched TV.

Day 2 (my birthday, no less): Sat on the couch and watched TV. Unpacked my new PDA and started learning how to use it.

Day 3: Sat on the couch and watched TV. Did a little housecleaning Finished reading Nineteen Minutes. Discovered that new PDA came complete with solitaire. Found myself going online to order an elliptical machine that I saw on an infomercial (hey, don't judge me).

Day 4: Got up at 8 a.m., stopped at McDonald's for breakfast, then spent five hours at school wrapping up all my loose ends for the school year. Completed inventory, completed requisitions, packed up my classroom, and checked out a box full of books to bring home. On the way home, I stopped to pick up necessary supplies and groceries, then ran by Blockbuster to use up this month's coupons before they expired. Completed one load of laundry. Watched The Other Boleyn Girl. Began reading Among the Hidden.

Day 5: Did another load of laundry. Finished Among the Hidden and began Among the Impostors. Cut Copper's toenails. Installed Sudoku program on new PDA. Watched National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets. Decided that my jaw is out of alignment and I have to start wearing my bite guard to bed again, especially since I have to go to the dentist next month and they will yell at me if I don't.

Day 6: Deposited reimbursement check at the credit union, bought Father's Day card, returned DVDs, and swung by Arby's for dinner. Deepened Sudoku addiction. Finished Among the Impostors. Watched Elizabeth: The Golden Age and The Bourne Supremacy. Began Among the Betrayed.

Day 7: Sudoku addiction reaches critical stage. Mailed Father's Day card, got a haircut and traded in videos for two more. Finished Among the Betrayed. Paid bills online. Started Among the Barons.

And... that does it. While it's been an enjoyable way to begin the summer vacation, I know I cannot maintain this level of inactivity. I have projects that need to be completed around the house and I need to get myself moving physically as I have a few pounds that should really come off (see... not so silly ordering the elliptical machine).

Good news: Drew is scheduled to be home any day now on a couple weeks of leave. Maybe he'll keep me occupied for a day or two.

Pissed

2008-05-20T22:52:00.003-04:00

Some degenerate child stole between $80 and $100 in fine/lost book money from my desk drawer inside my office today.

Yes, I realized I should not have had that much money in there and when I realized yesterday that there were at least three $20 bills and a whole bunch of fives, I made a mental note to get it turned in. But by the time I got around to doing just that after lunch today, all that was left was a handful of ones.

We're sure it was a two-person (at least) job, but don't know how it could have been premeditated as it was completely random that my office was left unlocked and unattended for a mere three to five minutes today. I had run to a teacher's classroom while my aide was at lunch. I thought it would be okay to leave the office open as my student aide was working on a project at one of the tables. And no, I can't even consider the possibility that it was the student aide as she is a model of honesty and trustworthiness.

I just can't imagine a kid of 13 years or less having the balls to steal that kind of money from the school. What is this world coming to?

I Never Thought I'd Be So Excited About Cat Pee

2008-05-11T21:00:00.005-04:00

Sorry for the silence. I'm not sure if anyone out there has been anxiously awaiting an update on Coal, but he is fine. And happy to be home.

I was able to pick him up Monday afternoon, which was actually ahead of schedule. He is now on a diet of canned cat food and prescription dry food, and we had to revert back to the old-fashioned clay litter box for a while. I have to monitor whether or not he is peeing and the amounts, so the automatic litterbox had to go into storage for the time being.

He looks a little funny with his shaved patches on his leg (from the IV) and his tail (that's where they had to tape his catheter), but I know it will grow back. I also have to give him a pill twice a day for a few more days. Anyone who has ever had to give a cat a pill knows that's not a whole lot of fun. It wasn't bad the first few times because he was also getting a syringe with a tasty pain medication at the same time, but now it's been the pill alone for several days and will continue for a few more.

Copper didn't really seem to miss her brother much, but she was all over him when he got home. I suppose it helped that it was primarily over the weekend when he was gone and I was home all day with her.

He has to go back in on Friday this week to run a follow-up urinalysis, but hopefully that will be the end of the doctor's appointments for a while.

Here's Where Being a Mom Sucks

2008-05-02T17:31:00.009-04:00

Coal is spending the weekend in the hospital.

He threw up right before we went to bed last night, but what cat doesn't throw up on occasion?

This morning he was straining in the litter box. I thought he was constipated. It made me sad, but I figured it was nothing serious.

When I got home this afternoon he just laid there, not walking around at all. This is very unusual. He also was talking to me much more than usual. He's usually a pretty quiet kitty. He had also thrown up a couple more times during the day.

Since it is Friday, I figured I better call the veterinarian. While I hoped it was nothing serious, I was afraid it would be and then I wouldn't be able to get a hold of them all weekend. The girl who answered the phone checked with the doctor, and she said that if I brought him in right away, they would check to make sure it was nothing serious.

I'm so glad they agreed to see him because he has a urinary blockage of some sort. They were immediately taking him back to put him under and put in a catheter.

They are supposed to call tonight and over the weekend to let me know how he's doing. He will likely come home Monday or Tuesday if all goes well.

I hate that I had to leave my baby. I cried all the way home. I'm sure it would be a million times worse if it was a human child that was ill, but at least then I'd likely be staying with him or her. It's going to be so weird to not have him here all weekend. Copper is going to be so confused about where her brother is.

This just in: The doctor just called and he is unblocked. She told me exactly what the issue was, but the gist of it was that he had crystals in his urinary tract from too much phosphorus in his diet. She said it's very unusual for a cat of ten years to just start having this problem, but if it happens again, there is a very simple surgery that will fix it. His blood levels were normal, which means I caught it early. There hadn't been enough time for his waste to back up into his kidneys and bloodstream. That's very good news. He will be on a prescription cat food for a while and then he will have to eat canned food to prevent it happening again. I'm sure he will have no problem with that, but I'll be shelling out quite a bit more for cat food from now on! The hard part will be keeping him out of the dog's dish as he finds Copper's food quite tasty as well!

I'm still going to miss my baby cat all weekend.

Fraud

2008-04-30T17:58:00.003-04:00

I feel a little like a thief today.

I bought a book at Barnes and Noble on Monday, read it last night, and returned it today.

This week is educator appreciation week at Barnes and Noble, so I used the extra discount (25% as opposed to the typical 20%) to pick up a few new titles for the library. One of these titles was Prey, the lastest book by Lurlene McDaniel. I had personally never read one of McDaniel's books, but they practically fly off the shelves in the library. I don't really understand it, as just reading the titles (such as Mother, Please Don't Die, Too Young to Die, and Telling Christina Goodbye) kind of makes me want to either kill myself or drink heavily. But I digress.

Reading the book jacket of Prey intrigued me, hinting that the story might contain an inappropriate relationship between a high school freshman and his history teacher. I checked the reviews online, and found that it was recommended for ages 12-18, so I figured I was safe. I might have to limit it to just 8th graders, but that is nothing unusual. However, something told me to read the book myself before we processed it. I decided that, if it was too edgy, we might just hand it off to the high school library.

I'm so glad I read it first.

Prey was a real page-turner. I read it cover to cover in about four hours and I was fixated the entire time. But I knew by the time I was halfway through the book that it would NOT be going in my library. I'm not even sure if I would have put it in a high school library given my penchant for stirring up trouble (which is why I didn't send it over to them).

While none of the scenes are graphic, Ryan and his teacher, Lori, carry on a sexual relationship throughout the majority of a school year. While they are ultimately revealed and Lori is convicted, neither character shows any remorse and the final chapter leaves the reader wondering who the "bad guy" really is.

Don't get me wrong. I really liked this book. I recommend it highly... to adults. But you will not find it on the shelf of my school library, which is why I could not justify spending school funds on it and I had to return it. I feel a little bad that I read a book, then returned it, but I'm sure that Barnes and Noble will see me spend that money in their store again.

Evaluation Day

2008-04-29T16:22:00.003-04:00

I got an email from Principal yesterday regarding the classroom observation he is hoping to do next week... nevermind that said observation should have been done a good six weeks ago (evaluations are supposed to be on file by March 15 or something like that). This isn't something I'm stressed over, but no one really likes to be observed, so I was ~~griping about~~ mentioning this to "Erin," my library aide. I was explaining how probationary teachers are supposed to have two evaluations per year (with two observations per evaluation) and tenured teachers (such as myself) have one evaluation every three years (I was observed once already this year... in about October).

"Geez," Erin commented. "I get evaluated every dang year!"

"Wow," I sympathized. Then, "Who evaluates you, anyway?"

"You do," she replied.

YIKES!

Coincidentally enough, Principal delivered Erin's evaluation papers to me this morning and asked me to fill them out.

Erin is fabulous and I don't know how I would have survived the year without her to run the place while I'm in the classroom and teach me all the systems we use in the library. She certainly has nothing to worry about with her evaluation.

But it still blows my mind that, after all that I went through in that place two years ago, I am now considered someone's boss and have to evaluate her.

I'll Take Random for 500, Alex

2008-04-26T14:52:00.004-04:00

Seeing as it's been nearly four weeks since I wrote a post of any substance, I thought it might be time. The days have been packed, so there's lots to report on.

My movie viewing has dried up since Spring Break got over and the new shows have begun again. In fact, I think that all I've watched since I made my last list are the three titles I had sitting here at that time. I have three more waiting for me now (Elizabeth, The Sixth Sense, and The Bourne Supremacy), but haven't gotten around to watching them.
I'm a really lousy friend. Drew has been in Iraq since December, and I've only sent him a couple of care packages. I've been promising to send more cookies since late March, but still haven't gotten to it. You'd think, with all the sacrifices that men and women like him are doing, I could find an hour to bake some cookies.
The stressful television situation at work finally worked out. A huge thanks goes out to Ryan at Best Buy for Business for his patience and coordinating pickup at five Best Buy stores. I had to do a lot of driving, but I was able to borrow a truck from a co-worker, use school time to do it, and I was paid mileage... very important with gas prices as high as they are!
I'm back to counting points for Weight Watchers again. I've put on nearly 20 pounds this school year. I need to lose at least 10 of them just to comfortably wear my summer clothes again, so I figured I better start now.
Next year's master schedule is all but finalized and I am scheduled for the media center full-time. I am so excited about this prospect that I'm still not allowing myself to fully believe it. No more papers to grade... Ten more hours a week to do the full-time job I am currently trying to do in only 20 hours. While I'm sure I'll still bring work home on occasion, it should be the exception, not the rule.
I took Copper to the dog park yesterday for the first visit of the year. She gets very excited with we first pull in the parking area and get out of the car, but as soon as we are in the actual park, she gets very intimidated by the other dogs. She's usually the smallest dog there, so I think that she thinks they are ganging up on her. She prefers to hang around the people. Not necessarily me... she does socialize, it's just with people, not dogs!
Coal's birthday was two days ago. I can't believe he's 10 years old. He's been with me for the majority of my adult life and it's hard to believe all the things that have changed (and not changed) in that time.
I paid my Jeep off two months ago with my income tax refund. Now that money is going toward credit card debt. I should be debt free (except for student loans and mortgage) in under a year.
A personal project that I've been planning for may be underway soon. That's all I'm revealing at this point.
Friday will be the two year anniversary of the MySpace incident. I'm not quite as frazzled as I was last year at this time. It's rather ironic that on Friday I will be attending an information session with district bigwigs because they want my input on a new technology related system for the district.
In August, I'll also be done paying for the days without pay that I agreed to as a result of the incident. That will free up another chunk of money to put toward the debt payoff. I'm hoping that, at that point, the board will be willing to remove certain paperwork from my file that could make it difficult for me to ever get a job in another district.
I mowed the lawn for the first time of the year this week. Spring is finally here.
Only six weeks until summer vacation. Enough said.

Scary

2008-04-21T16:22:00.002-04:00

Driving home from work today, I got off the expressway at my usual exit, rounded the curve of the exit ramp and proceeded to run a red light at the end of it.

I have no idea what possessed me to not stop, or at least be paying attention to see if the light was green or red. It's not like I haven't gone through that intersection hundreds, if not thousands, of times over the years. I know there is a light there and it's a toss-up as to whether I'll have to stop or not. I've never not been paying attention before.

At any rate, I'm damn lucky that I neither caused an accident, nor got pulled over and ticketed. Someone was certainly looking out for me today.

Marching On

2008-03-30T18:32:00.002-04:00

I was just updating my reading list when I realized that I hadn't posted at all in the month of March. Since March will be over in less than 48 hours, I figured I better do that!

I'm just coming off a week of Spring Break. Ahhh... Spring Break. It was oh so glorious to goof off, sleep in, and watch multiple movies during the ten days I had off. A list:

Good Luck Chuck
We are Marshall
Spiderman 3
Ocean's Twelve
Atonement
Enchanted
I am Legend
Sydney White
August Rush

I still have Becoming Jane, The Bourne Identity (no, I've never seen it), and Miss Potter waiting for me. I think I may finally be getting my money's worth from my Blockbuster subscription. I love that I can return my mail-in movies at the store and get free rentals there for them. I think that makes it a much better deal than NetFlix.

And I just have to say that I LOVED Atonement. I don't know what it was about it, but it was a very striking movie. I do very much enjoy Kiera Knightley, but I know she's not the whole reason it resonated with me so much. I think it was just such a haunting story. Plus, I'm a sucker for anything British. Throw in the World War II time period and I'm hooked.

I even managed to get a little work done over break. I did some housework and a little re-arranging in my computer room. I also went into work one day. I can get so much stuff done when no one else is around to bother me.

But tomorrow it's back to the old grind. Time to report back to reality. But only for ten weeks more. Then next couple of weeks are going to be a bit crazy because my book fair starts Wednesday (should be delivered tomorrow) and goes through Thursday of next week. The marking period ends this week and next week is conferences. By the end of this week I have to spend all the money I have left in my budget, which sounds like fun, but is actually kind of stressful! Then it will only be a few more weeks and we will be shutting down the library so we can do inventory. Other issues along the way include a broken laminating machine and my apparent inablility to buy the TVs that need to be purchased for the school. Every time I go to the store, check in hand, to order them, they are no longer available. It wouldn't be such a big deal if we hadn't already ordered the mounts to attach them to the wall.

Who knew that the most stressful part of my job would involve buying stuff?

Two Things

2008-02-26T16:29:00.003-05:00

One: Why is it that wipers that worked perfectly fine this morning are, for the most part, no longer making contact with the surface of the windshield? There is no visible caked-on ice or snow. And even more perplexing, why is the driver's side always worse than the passenger side? My guess is that all will be well again tomorrow.

Two: Is it weird that I just received a birth announcement in the mail today for a child that was born in October? True, I haven't been as "in touch" with these particular friends as I once was, but they live only 20 minutes away and the baby's dad was one of my best friends back in high school. I'm appreciative... I just think it's odd. And now that I think about it, I even talked to him in August and he made no mention of the impending arrival. Again... weird.

New Stuff is Fun

2008-02-18T21:33:00.002-05:00

I went shopping today. For just a hair under $100 I got the following:

4 pillows
2 towel sets (bath towel, hand towel, washcloth) plus bathmat
450 thread count sheet set with 2 bonus pillowcases

Everything was on sale except the sheet set, but I had a 20% off coupon that I used on that. The cashier actually applied it to the pillows, too. The pillows were buy one get one free. The bathmat was free with $25 towel purchase. I think I did alright.

And I was due for new stuff. When I thought back I realized that I hadn't bought new towels in nearly 7 years. My sheets are almost 8 years old. And my pillows were purchased when I got my first apartment... almost 10 years ago. I don't think you're supposed to keep them that long!

Things I'm Glad I Didn't Know at the Beginning of the Day

2008-02-15T17:49:00.003-05:00

B. got married today.

He didn't even tell his (former) best friend, let alone me. We both found out through the grapevine today. Silly me, if the roles were reversed, I would have the common decency to fill him in ahead of time. I'm not sure why I have such expectations of him.

It's not that I still want him. If this afternoon's conversation at choir practice taught me nothing else, it taught me that.

It's not that I don't want him to be happy. Well... maybe a little right now.

It's that I don't understand how some people go from relationship to relationship with such ease, when I'm so painfully single and have been for so long. I'm a good person. I'm not bad to look at. I'd be very happy with just a boyfriend. I don't think that's asking too much.

So I'm a little bitter right now. Please excuse me while I revel in it.

Holy Geez... It's Been A While!

2008-01-03T18:25:00.000-05:00

And I can't say that it's likely to be much more frequent now.

It dawned on me that I didn't post at all in the month of December. I kept meaning to. Not that I had anything to post about, but I at least had good intentions of posting to explain why I, uh... wasn't posting.

So I guess I'll tell you now.

I got pretty burned out by NaBloPoMo. Anyone who attempted to read my pointless drivel and cop-out placeholder posts during the month of November knows that all too clearly. Let's just say it wasn't my finest work. So I took a break for that reason.

The other reason I haven't been writing isn't a lack of things happening in my life. In fact, my life has been pretty darn full as of late. But the problem is that, most of the things that are currently occupying my thoughts are not mine to write about. I won't go into detail, but suffice it to say that I have some friends whose lives are in turmoil. And because there are people who read this blog on occasion who either know the parties involved or actually are the parties themselves, it wouldn't be right to discuss their business, even under the cloak of pseudonyms.

There were things that are my business that I could have written about, but I refrained because I was in fear of two things: I would either jinx myself, or other involved parties would somehow stumble across my blog and I would die of embarrassment. As it turns out, I don't think I have that topic to discuss any longer, so we'll just leave it at that.

Which brings us to today. I wanted to, at the very least, update my reading list. I didn't quite make it to my goal of 50 books for the year, but I don't think it was a bad showing. And I still think I should get to count Harry Potter books one through six since I re-read them all before book seven came out in July. At any rate, with any luck I'll make it to 50 this year.

So that's where things stand. I can't promise to be back any more often than I have been in the last month, but I'll do my best. Who knows? Maybe the kids at school will keep me more entertained than I expect!

Anxiety Over

2007-11-30T21:14:00.000-05:00

The arbitration went well. I won't know the outcome for over two months, but my part is done at least. Apparently I rock at testifying. The district's attorney was unable to rattle me or get me to stumble over my answers. That really pissed the bastard off. Union leadership now wants me to take on a leadership role so that I can help negotiate in the future. I so don't want to do that at this point in my life, but I might consider it one day.

And this concludes NaBloPoMo for 2007.

Anxious

2007-11-29T20:59:00.000-05:00

I won't be at school tomorrow. At least not in my normal capacity. Which kind of sucks because Friday is my light day when I can usually get some work done.

It sucks for other reasons, too. The reason I'll be gone is that I'll be at the arbitration for my pay scale grievance. This grievance is so stupid I can barely believe it. Everyone who hears about it knows that it's simply another way that someone is trying to screw me. We are fighting over $1000 per year. It is costing $10,000 to take this to arbitration. Tell me that's not stupid.

I wouldn't say I'm really nervous about this because all I can do is state the facts. It's about when I took classes and what I took them for. There is no interpretation of anything I have to say. All the interpretation has to do with the contract itself, so I really have nothing to be nervous about. But, that said, I doubt it's going to be fun to be questioned by the school district's lawyer.

Even after tomorrow is over, it will likely be a few weeks before I hear the outcome. I'll let you know how things go.

MySpace Redux

2007-11-28T22:28:00.000-05:00

So the MySpace incident came up during my social studies class yesterday.

Boy, are those kids uninformed. But on the plus side, they are uninformed. They really don't know what it was that I said that got everyone so riled up, so I was able to diffuse the situation pretty quickly. I used it as an opportunity to talk about being careful what you put out there on the Internet and knowing that it may not just be your friends who see it.

Of course, I then had to go do some CYA action with Principal, just in case he heard about the conversation through the grapevine. Particularly since the son of our school board president is in that class. He's a great kid who seems to really like me, but you can't be too careful.

*sigh* Perhaps one day it will stop haunting me.

It's Just Wrong

2007-11-27T21:51:00.000-05:00

Four full weeks (to the day) before Christmas and what was on TV tonight?

A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Seriously? I mean, I love me some Charlie Brown and all (that's where I got my name afterall), but four full weeks? I'm just not feeling it.

Frustrating

2007-11-26T22:01:00.000-05:00

There's someone I'd really like to hear from. It's been since Friday. I know he's currently very busy, so I understand why he hasn't had time to send me an email, but it doesn't make the waiting any more tolerable.

Two more weeks and he'll be home. He's supposed to have a lot more free time then. We'll see.

Another Sunday

2007-11-25T22:18:00.000-05:00

Actually, I think I need to revise my dislike of Sundays. It's not the entire day I don't like. It's just the last few hours when I have to get all my stuff done to be ready for the next day. Plus it's the knowledge that I will have to be up early the next day and it will be five more before I can sleep in again. Even now, I'm sitting here watching TV, typing away, and my school bag is already packed and in its place on the washing machine, but I still have that feeling. I'm not sure how to characterize it. I wouldn't call it dread exactly. It's much more mild than that. I guess it's just knowing that the carefree-ness of the past two days (or in this case, four) is coming to an end, and, once again, I haven't accomplished nearly what I should have.

But will I ever learn to savor the weekends when they are here? I think not.

Now It's Just Getting Sad

2007-11-24T22:29:00.001-05:00

Why is it that something that was supposed to get me more into blogging has instead left a bad taste for it in my mouth? Seriously. I just rolled my eyes when I realized that I hadn't posted yet today.

But I'm not giving up yet. Only six more days. Even a trained monkey can hang in there for six more days.

A Thanksgiving Weekend Meme

2007-11-23T19:41:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I've been on the road the last two days and I'm wiped out. So I leave you with a meme.

1. If your doctor told you TODAY that you were pregnant, what would you say?
I’m not sure how that happened, but it’s pretty cool!

2. Do you trust all of your friends?
Yes, although some of them like to gossip.

3. Would you move to another state or country to be with the one you love?
Absolutely.

4. Do you believe that everything happens for a reason?
I like to think so.

5. Can you make a dollar in change right now?
Oh, probably.

6. Which one of your friends do you think would make the best doctor?
Heather, because she likes that science stuff.

7. Are you afraid of falling in love?
No, but I am afraid of falling in love with someone who doesn’t love me.

8. Is there someone who pops into your mind at random times?
Yes, but that’s a topic for another time.

9. What’s your most favorite scar?
The one on my lip from playing catch with sharp objects when I was three.

10. When was the last time you flew in a plane?
Coming home from Hawaii on August 1st.

11. What did the last text message you sent say?
Lol. Yes I see that. Mom and I were both looking for him. She was excited to see his name in the credits. lol

12. What features do you find most attractive in the preferred sex?
A funny boy with pretty eyes.

13. Fill in the blank. I love:
Being able to sleep as late as I want.

14. What is a goal you would like to accomplish in the near future?
Paying off my credit cards.

15. If you were to wake up from being in a coma for an extended time who would you call?
Depends on who's there with me.

16. How many kids do you want to have?
At least one, preferably two.

17. Would you make a good parent?
I like to think so. I see the mistakes that others make at work every day.

18. Honestly, whats on your mind right now?
A cute boy I like.

19. If you could go back in time and change something, what would it be?
Trusting someone from many years ago.

20. Who was or will be the maid of honor/ best man in your wedding?
Amber was supposed to be, and now that we are closer again, I think I still would ask her to be.

21. What are you wearing right now?
Jeans, t-shirt, and a hoodie.

22. Righty or Lefty?
Righty.

23. Best place to eat?
Bennigans.

24. Favorite jeans?
Levi’s 545.

25. Favorite animal?
Dolphin.

26. Favorite juice?
Grape.

27. Have you had the chicken pox?
Yes, back in first grade.

28. Have you had a sore throat?
Yes, and I do currently, too.

29. Ever had a bar fight?
Nope, I fear pain.

30. Who knows you the best?
Heather or Amber.

31. Shoe size?
8.

32. Do you wear contact lenses or glasses?
Both, but mainly contacts.

33. Ever been in a fight with your pet?
Only when she chews me out for leaving her at home alone.

34. Been to Mexico?
Nope, but I’d like to one day.

35. Did you buy something today?
Just gas for the Jeep.

36. Did you get sick today?
Nope.

37. Do you miss someone today?
I’m not sure if miss is the correct term since I’m not really around him that much, but sure.

38. Did you get in a fight with someone today?
No.

39. When is the last time you had a massage?
About three years ago, I think.

40. Last person to lay in your bed?
Me.

41. Last person to see you cry?
No idea, I really don’t remember the last time I cried.

42. Who made you cry?
See #41 above.

43. What was the last TV show you watched?
Dirty Sexy Money (Amber’s brother was in it!).

44. What are your plans for the weekend?
Sleep in, go to the gym, catch up with house-cleaning and schoolwork.

45.Who do you think will repost this?
Anyone who wants to.

46. Who was the last person you hung out with?
Sue.

47. If your significant other asked you to marry them TODAY what would you say?
Who are you? Don’t you think we should date first?

Thankful

2007-11-22T08:03:00.000-05:00

I'm thankful for:

The cuddly kitty-cat currently nestled up in the chair behind me.
The world's cutest beagle dog who went back to bed after going outdoors.
The first accumulating snow of the winter... it's so pretty out!
The health of my family... I know many people who aren't so lucky.
The love of my friends... I have more offers of things to do while I'm home tonight than I can do!
A friend who is willing to go way above and beyond if I ask him to.
Being able to see Drew again last night before he leaves for Iraq.
Having my own home where I can do whatever I want.
Rejuvenating old friendships with people I had grown apart from.
The possibility of something more developing from one of those old friendships.
Finally being in a job that I truly love.
The support of colleagues in that job.
The freedom to live as I wish (and all the men and women who are fighting to keep it that way).

I guess I have things pretty good. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Is It Over Yet?

2007-11-21T23:21:00.000-05:00

Twenty-one down, nine to go.

What was I thinking when I signed up for this?

Playing Hooky

2007-11-20T23:01:00.000-05:00

Well, no, not really. I had a doctor's appointment scheduled, so I took my very first sick day of the year. Not bad seeing as we are in the twelfth week. However, if I had realized that Thanksgiving was so early this year, I probably would have made a point to make this appointment a week later when I scheduled it back in July. It seems a little silly to take a day off during a three day week!

Anyway, I had my appointment, then I did a bunch of running around town. I did some shopping and bought a couple of cute tops. I looked at dresses for New Year's Eve, but didn't find anything that grabbed me yet. I'll have to keep looking.

So tomorrow it's back to the grind. I have to miss my first hour class again because of a technology committee meeting, and then we are packing four sixth grade classes into two hours so that they can watch a movie in the afternoon. The good thing about that is that I will then have the afternoon almost entirely free!

Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy

2007-11-19T20:55:00.000-05:00

Amber and I met up at 5:00 Saturday evening and headed to Grand Rapids. Our destination was the B.O.B. (Big Old Building), which, in the words of the comic we saw that night, is "a four story, alcoholic Disneyland." Imagine our surprise when we arrived to find... cowboy hats? In downtown Grand Rapids? We started to get a little scared when, during dinner, people started line dancing in the next room.

Soon our questions were answered when the owner of a local country music station came over to chat. Turned out that there was a Brad Paisley concert going on that night right next door at the Van Andel Arena. Now, neither Amber nor I are country music fans, but even we knew who he was. The radio station guy was very apologetic because he said he wanted to give us tickets, but he had already given away his last ones. It would have been cool to get free concert tickets, but, honestly, I probably would have found the concert to be painful. I do like his song "Online," though. Because I'm so much cooler online, too.

Anyway, after dinner, we headed up to the comedy club on the third floor to see Greg Giraldo. I didn't think I knew who he was, but once he came out, he seemed familiar, so I think I have seen him on Comedy Central or something. After the show it was back downstairs where we mixed with some interesting young men. And I do mean young. It's a good thing we don't look our age. They thought we were younger than them, but they were mistaken.

And then the cowboys came back!! It was quite exciting. And thank goodness Amber takes her camera everywhere with her because the night was heavily documented.

Finally it was 2 a.m. (much later than I thought we would be out) and time to head for home. But the night wouldn't be complete without a drunk dial, so I did the honors. Unfortunately (or fortunately, I guess), my recipient's phone was turned off, so I only got to leave a silly voicemail. Still haven't heard back from him. The bastard.

I haven't had that much fun in way too long. Now I'm really looking forward to our New Year's Chicago trip. It should be a blast!

Time

2007-11-18T22:24:00.000-05:00

Oh, but I have so many things I could write about. Last night was an absolute blast, but I simply do not have the time. I really need to go to bed since I didn't exactly get a lot of sleep last night. Hopefully tomorrow I will find the time I need to tell the story.

Contradiction

2007-11-17T14:02:00.000-05:00

You'd think that, with as little time as I have for blogging lately, I would have more stuff to actually blog about! I guess the issue is that I've mainly been busy with work, and I want to be very careful what I post about work things... for obvious reasons. Also, any intersting tidbits that I might want to share lately tend to not be my stories to tell. I want to respect the privacy of my friends and aquaintances. Why can't more random stuff be happening to me this month? I have no problem with ridiculing strangers!

Well, maybe things are looking up. I'm going out tonight with Amber, so maybe I'll have some stories to share tomorrow.

Not Ready to Throw In the Towel

2007-11-16T16:54:00.000-05:00

Yeah, it's happening again. I'm only posting now because I don't think I'll have any time to post later. I'm leaving in just a couple of minutes to go back to school for an event, then likely over to a friend's house for a bit. Probably won't make it home before midnight.

What's really sad is that I probably won't have time to write much tomorrow, either. Maybe by Sunday I'll have something profound to say.

Slacker

2007-11-15T22:37:00.000-05:00

From the files of... oh, crap, I forgot to post today...

Spent most of tonight grading tests. Very exciting, I know.

Lots of buzz at work about a big figure potentially leaving. We should get so lucky. We'll know for sure next week. Let's hope we have something to be thankful for!

I'm a Running Fool

2007-11-14T21:24:00.001-05:00

I can hardly believe it. I've actually wanted to run this week. I didn't get to yesterday because I needed to finish mowing the lawn, but I went both Monday and today. I still only did a mile today, just like Monday, but just getting out again is a bit of an accomplishment. I'm particularly happy that I was craving a run before I even left work. I hope I'm getting addicted again, particularly since I've started putting a bit of weight back on again. I knew the Hawaii metabolism hangover was bound to end sooner or later. And, since holiday eating is on its way (can you believe that Thanksgiving is a week from tomorrow already?), I really need to start burning some of that off, plus get back into some better habits so that I won't have to go up a pant size after Christmas!

Game ON!

2007-11-13T22:53:00.000-05:00

Just got done chatting with Amber about our upcoming trip to Chicago. We've had to change our dates on several occasions, but I think we are finally set for spending New Years in the Windy City! She's on the case for a hotel room and my job is to get theater tickets. I'm so excited that I get to see Wicked again! Amber hasn't seen it yet, so it was an easy sell. I'm also pretty geeked to actually have some plans for New Year's Eve. That hasn't happened in about five years!

Random Recap

2007-11-12T21:05:00.000-05:00

Yeah, yeah, I know I should just write about one tidbit per day during NaBloPoMo, but I've got all these thoughts in my head and, man, it's getting crowded in there!

Parent-teacher conferences were Wednesday and Thursday last week. I didn't have very many, which didn't surprise me now that I'm only in the classroom two hours per day, and one of those hours is only a marking period class. But I was still busy beyond all comprehension because this is when our book fair went on. We do it then so that we can get the parent traffic in, and did it ever pay off. Things were pretty slow earlier in the week, but we took in nearly $1500 on that last day of conferences. All told, we made enough to slide nicely into the 30% profit bracket, taking some in books and some in cash. Now I have to decide what to spend it on!

After conferences, we headed out for a night on the town, but the sheer quantity of drama took me back to summer nights on Midland Street. I finally couldn't take it anymore and ended up leaving early to watch one of my friends sing karaoke at a bar that was a lot closer to my house. Before the night was over, though, I drank more than I have since my class reunion (two shots?!?) and had quite the headache when I woke up Friday morning. A glass of water and two Tylenol later and I was back to bed for two more hours so that I could feel human again.

Friday was an errand day... oil change, hair cut, picking up a few things at the store. That pretty much did it. Saturday I've already reported on and Sunday was just a tad bit more productive.

Today was unseasonably warm when I left work, so I decided to finally make an attempt at cutting my grass. I only got the front yard done before it got too dark to go on, but it looks a lot better. I'll have to do it again when the rest of the leaves fall from my maple tree, but it will be just leaves now... the grass won't grow much more. I still need to do the backyard, but tomorrow is supposed to be an even better day. I'll get to it then.

The unsettling thing was how I actually had energy when I was done with the lawn! That's so unlike me! So I went for a run. I only did a mile, and I had to stop and catch my breath every quarter-mile, but I ran the entire mile, so I'm pretty proud. Not bad for not having done anything even remotely physical in over two weeks.

There are other thoughts, but I should save something for tomorrow!

You Know You're a Blogger If...

2007-11-11T20:30:00.001-05:00

You wake up on a Sunday morning to find a pile of beagle puke on the other side of the bed and you consider taking a picture of it to post on your blog.

Aren't you glad I reconsidered that photo?

Copper had been acting like she was about to throw up last night (walking around licking everything) so I put her outside, hoping she would take care of it out there. I watched her eat grass for a minute (another sign she was getting ready to throw up) before getting ready for bed. I let her in a few minutes later and thought no more about it until 8:30 this morning.

I can't believe I slept through my dog puking in the bed (under the covers, no less) right next to me.

Here's hoping she's feeling better tonight.

I Think There May Be Something Wrong With Me

2007-11-10T22:54:00.000-05:00

I can't believe how little I've done today. I got up about 10:30, did some Soduku puzzles, laid down and took a nap. Then I got up, did some more puzzles, and took another nap. I woke up about 5:00 and finally stayed up for the day, but I still didn't do a whole heck of a lot. I talked on the phone, did some more puzzles, watched some TV shows I had recorded from the last couple of weeks. That pretty much did it. I really need to be more productive tomorrow.

The Kid-In-Me Survey

2007-11-09T20:15:00.000-05:00

In reality, yesterday offered me a good three days of blog fodder, but do you think I have the energy to type any of it up? Of course not. So instead, a survey...

Mark the things that you have:
[x] A mom
[x] A dad
[ ] Stepmom
[ ] Stepdad
[ ] A younger brother
[ ] A younger sister
[ ] An older brother
[x] An older sister
[x] Grandfather (but they are no longer living)
[x] Grandmother (see above)
[x] Cousins
[ ] Half-brother
[x] Half-sister
[ ] Stepbrother
[ ] Stepsister
[x] Brother-in-law
[ ] Sister-in-law
[x] Niece (and grand-nieces)
[x] Nephew (see above, substitute with nephew)

1. Are you a child of the 70s, 80s, or 90s?
I was born in the ‘70s, but I actually grew up in the ‘80s.

2. Where were you born?
Pennock Hospital

3. What city did you grow up in?
I didn’t… it was out in the sticks!

4.Did you enjoy your childhood?
For the most part, but I’ve never made friends easily, so it was sometimes lonely.

5. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A doctor, a teacher, a Broadway actress/singer, a jazz singer, an architect, a teacher (again).

6. What do you want to be now?
Independently wealthy.

8. What was your first best friend’s name?
Shannon

10. Can you name all the schools you ever attended?
Woodland Elementary and Jr. High, Lakewood High, Central Michigan University, Michigan State University, Mott Community College, Saginaw Valley State University, Wayne State University.

11. Were you closer to your mom or dad as a kid?
Probably my mom.

12. What was the first record, tape or CD you remember buying?
“Weird Al” Yankovic, “Even Worse.” Man that’s embarrassing.

13. How old were you when you first heard of Chuck Norris on GoofyAuctions.com?
Apparently 33, as it was just now.

14. Are you scared of anything?
Not being able to have a baby.

15. How old were you when you wanted to get your ears pierced for the 2nd time?
Nineteen.

16. Did you buy school lunch or bring your own?
Usually bought it. It really wasn’t bad most of the time and a lot easier than scrounging something up myself!

17. Broken any bones or had any freaky accidents as a kid?
No broken bones, but I have a scar on my lip from playing catch with a sharp object and having to get stitches. I was three.

18. Were you a mean kid?
I was the chubby girl that others were mean to.

19. Favorite board game of all of time?
Monopoly.

20. Did you play house or pretend to be a super hero?
I did both, but probably house a bit more.

21. What was your favorite class in elementary school?
Reading… I have always loved to read.

22. Seriously, are you still just a kid at heart?
I’m more of an immature, awkward teenager. I usually have the sense of humor of a twelve year old.

Cop-Out Post

2007-11-08T06:27:00.000-05:00

Sorry folks... I'm hoping this will be the only one, but it must be done. I have parent teacher conferences all day, then I have to pack up the book fair, and then I finally get to go out and play with my friends. I have no intention of being home before midnight and there's no way in Hell I would attempt to post from work after the Great Internet Witch Hunt of '06.

On the plus side, with the massive amounts of alcohol that I expect will be consumed tonight by me and my friends, there's bound to be an interesting post brewing for tomorrow.

Perhaps I Should Rethink This Sweater...

2007-11-07T21:59:00.000-05:00

The scene: a middle school library in the midst of the fall book fair

The time: fifth grade lunch recess

The players: A stunningly attractive media specialist, her fabulous library aide, and numerous ten year olds.

The action: One of said ten year olds, a little boy with hair so blond it is nearly white, approaches the stunningly attractive media specialist and asks, "Are you Mrs. C-?"

"Yes," I reply, with hesitation, as this child should know darn well who I am, seeing as he has been coming to my library for the last nine weeks. I consider correcting him with, "Ms. C-" however, as "Mrs. C-" is my mother. I decide to let it go.

"I heard you were pregnant."

A stunned look of amusement pass between me and my aide while I successfully contain my hysterical laughter.

"Well, I'm not," I reply.

"Huh... I heard someone around here is," and with that, he turned and left the library.

Begin hysterical laughter.

I really wish it had been a seventh or eighth grader who asked, because I would have replied with something along the lines of, "What?!? How did you hear that?! No one was supposed to know!" but I really wouldn't feel right teasing a fifth grade boy with that.

And if only that were really the case. *sigh*

All Warm and Fuzzy

2007-11-06T21:50:00.000-05:00

I got a good news update that I thought I would share (plus, I was scrambling for a post topic).

Back in September I wrote about my co-worker friend who had just given birth to her twin boys at just under 30 weeks gestation. Well, I realized that I hadn't passed on any of the news that has been shared with me over the past two months. Obviously, I want to respect my friend's privacy, so I don't want to share too many details, but in a nutshell, things are going well. Baby A came home about a week and a half ago and is nearly six pounds. Baby B is still in the NICU, and gave his parents a real scare about a month ago when he developed the MRSA infection. But he is testing negative for the infection now and is continuing to grow. He is nearly two pounds over his birth weight of 1 lb. 13 oz. and the neonatologist expects that he should be home with the rest of the family by Thanksgiving.

In the words of his mother, "Now, that's something to be thankful for."

Read? I Don't Have Time to Read! I'm a Librarian!

2007-11-05T20:12:00.000-05:00

Ironic, isn't it? I'm sure there are people in the world that think it's easy to be a school librarian, and, to be perfectly honest, it's not a terribly difficult position. It's easier for some than others... it all depends on how you do the job. But my point here is that, anyone who thinks that all a librarian does is sit around and read is sorely mistaken. I've actually had less time to read since school started because my day is filled with administrative duties, which means that the lesson planning and paper grading for my two core classes all has to come home with me each night. Sometimes I do it, sometimes I don't. But the point is that, I'm not finding myself with a lot of time for just plain reading!

I'm currently working on the book Extras by Scott Westerfeld. It's the fourth book in a trilogy. Yes, I realize what that says. See, Mr. Westerfeld apparently found that his trilogy was so lucrative that he needed to add a fourth book to it. I thorougly enjoyed books one (Uglies) and two (Pretties) in the trilogy and the third one (Specials) was okay. It was okay with me that the trilogy was complete, but when I found that there was another book I thought that would be fine as well. The jury's still out on this one, but so far I'm thinking that he should have left well enough alone.

I've had Twilight by Stephenie Meyer sitting on the coffee table for several weeks now. I wanted to read this series this summer when its latest installment arrived in stores, but I waited until I had access to the school library again, thinking that we had a copy. As it turned out, we don't own it so I thought I might buy it for us, but I started hearing mumblings that, perhaps, it wasn't appropriate for our middle school library. I finally broke down and bought a copy to read for myself, and if it does turn out to be a good choice, then I will donate it to the library. But in the meantime, I need to find some time to read it!!

And today I brought home another selection. A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray arrived last week with a shipment of books ordered by my predecessor. When our student aide was starting to process them, she commented that her mother wouldn't let her read it. This surprised me as our aide is a mature, avid reader. If her mother didn't want her reading it, perhaps there is a reason. I checked out some reviews online and found some that said ages 12 and up, another that said grade nine, and still another that said grades 11-12. The book looks really good to me, but it's now on my list so that I can determine if it is indeed appropriate for my library.

Anyone have any input for me on these two titles?

Blue Sunday

2007-11-04T20:13:00.000-05:00

I can't remember a time when I really liked Sundays.

My family was never religious, so it has nothing to do with having to go to church or anything. In fact, I've gone through phases as an adult when I've thought that maybe, if I had a church, I might like Sundays better.

Actually, now that I think about it, the problem I have with Sundays isn't with the entire day. It's really just with the last few hours of the day. Because by that time it has dawned on me that the entire weekend is gone and, not only do I have to get up and go to work the next day, I haven't accomplished nearly what I needed or wanted to.

I had such grand plans today. I actually got up about 8:30 this morning, which is unheard of for me on a weekend. Okay, so it was only 8:30 because the time change was last night and my body felt like it was 9:30. But, at any rate, I was up and thought, "Fantastic! Now I have all day to get my school work done and clean the house and go the gym!"

Here it is, twelve hours later, and which of the above actually happened today? That would be none of them. Instead of going to the gym, I sat on the couch and watched disc three of season one of How I Met Your Mother. Instead of getting my school work done, I sat on the couch and watched... damn, I don't even remember what I watched. Oh, yeah, it was an A&E show on haunted houses. Instead of cleaning the house, I sat on the couch and watched (notice the trend?) Spiderman on TBS. I'm so lame.

On the plus side, I did get to the grocery store, and I did get my laundry done, so I have clean clothes for the next week. But that's it. It's a good thing I won't be going to bed for a couple of hours because my grades are due tomorrow, so I must get that last assignment graded. Probably wouldn't hurt to do a little planning for the week, either.

Once Again Snatching Defeat From the Jaws of Victory

2007-11-03T21:16:00.000-04:00

MSU 24, U-M 28

I realize that my team really didn't deserve to win this game, not after all the penalties and giving up the two touchdowns at the end, but really, when are we going to get a break? The loyal Spartan fans deserve to get one now and then, don't they?

In Case You Were Hoping for Something Profound... Look Elsewhere

2007-11-02T20:37:00.000-04:00

Honestly... I just got home a bit ago and was checking MySpace (damn MySpace... bane of my existence) when I remembered that I needed to post again today... crap!!!

Alright... today. Well, Fridays are the days I try to get stuff done in the library, but it usually doesn't happen because my aide leaves at noon. It was also another book fair day, so I had things to do for that, plus I had to draw and announce the winners for the MSU v. U-M reading contest. It's very strange to hear your own voice over the building PA system. I'm not at all like my predecessor, who could talk and talk until the PA finally cut her off, then she'd come back on just to say goodbye. But I think that's one of the things the staff likes about me.

And then it was off to choir practice, and it was a long one. It was so long I had to call my neighbor to let Copper out. I don't like to do that very often, but I think It's been a month or so since I have.

Tomorrow is the Michigan/Michigan State game. I think I'm going to watch it at a friend's house so that I have an excuse to drink during it. I love my Spartans, but man, can they ever stink it up on the football field.

GO GREEN! GO WHITE! GO STATE!!

Start With a Bang

2007-11-01T17:52:00.000-04:00

I thought about it on the drive home from work today, but promptly forgot. Then I spent an hour and a half on the computer paying bills and budgeting for the next month and just remembered again... it's the start of NaBloPoMo. Crap!

So I know that today's post is incredibly lame, but at least it's here, right?

Oh, during that hour and a half I also chatted with Drew for a while. He's currently in New Mexico training for his deployment and will be there for quite some time still. He's incredibly tired, but at least I know he's not in danger yet. He's supposed to be home for a couple days over Thanksgiving, so I'm hoping I'll get to see him then. I can't believe he's been gone for a month and a half already.

Okay, I'm going to eat dinner. Hopefully I'll be more entertaining tomorrow, or else it's going to be a long month!

From the Files of "What the Hell Was I Thinking?"

2007-10-30T17:29:00.000-04:00

Two thoughts:

Like the masochist that I am, I again enrolled in NaBloPoMo. I made it through last year, even in my last term of graduate school, so I should be able to do so again this year. Of course, I will admit (now that it's after the fact) to a wee bit of back-dating on days when I didn't quite make it in by midnight. So I'm going to try not to do that this year.
I agreed to participate in the costume contest at work tomorrow. Staff members are dressing up as movie characters and there is a contest among the advisory classes to see which class can guess the most. There is also a prize for the costume that stumps the most classes. I'd tell you who I'm dressing up as, but then I'd have to kill you. Plus, my costume isn't quite finished yet. I put in about two hours on it last night and I might have another hour tonight, but I don't think a single kid will guess it. The only way will be if some English teacher helps their class cheat.

That's all for now. Have to save all my thoughts for Thursday and beyond.

Where the Heck Have You... Oh Wait, That Was Me...

2007-10-18T18:59:00.001-04:00

Yes, I realize I've been MIA lately. I've been swamped. And exhausted. That's it, end of excuses.

Nothing real special going on, just very busy doing my new job. And half of my old job. I love the stuff I'm doing for my new job. I just wish I had the whole day to do it. Which really seems reasonable to me, seeing as the previous person had all day to do it. I really hope things change in that direction next year.

B.'s class was in for their library time yesterday, but he had a sub. The kids told me he had to take his daughter to the doctor and then he had to go renew his driver's license because it was his birthday. I had forgotten it was his birthday. I did get a little tinge of sadness when I realized it was yet another special day we wouldn't spend together, but I also think it's a good sign that I forgot it was his birthday. I'm very good at remembering birthdays. Maybe it's another clue that I really am getting past him.

It's been a very expensive couple of weeks around the home of the beagle. First was the unexpected car repair a couple weeks ago, then the very next day I ordered my new glasses. I have vision insurance, but it doesn't cover the thinner lenses for practically blind people like me. Or at least my eye doctor's office says it doesn't. A co-worker of mine says differently, so I have to ask them to re-check my coverage when I go to pick them up. I also had to order more contacts. And then, last week, it was yearly check-up and vaccination time for Copper and Coal. I think it would be cheaper to have actual children... at least then my insurance would kick in!

Speaking of the fur children, they claim that both of them need their teeth cleaned. They've been telling me this about Coal for about three years now, but it's the first they've mentioned it on Copper. This is a pricy procedure because it's done under general anesthesia. While I will conceed that Copper's breath is NASTY, I still think teeth cleaning for pets is a bit of a scam. We had dogs and cats for years growing up that never had their teeth cleaned and it didn't seem to affect them.

And Copper has ear infections again, too. This time it's both yeast and bacteria, so I had to get new medicine to treat both (last time it was just yeast). So that was some extra cash. And she just loves being held still while I stick something in her ear twice a day, too. Damn her big cute floppy beagle ears!

And one of the kids keeps throwing up on the backroom carpet everyday while I'm gone to work (three days in a row this week). Why can't the guilty party puke on the kitchen floor? Why the carpet? Neither of them ever acts sick when I'm home, so I can't tell for sure which it is, but I think it's Copper because it's never on the living room carpet (which Coal can get to, but Copper cannot). So tomorrow I have to sequester Copper to just the kitchen and see if there's any difference.

My metabolism seems to have finally caught up with me. Ever since I went to Hawaii, it's been out of control. As in, no working out and eating whatever I want while still dropping pounds. And then I was still maintaining while I ate out several times a week and sat on the couch. But now it's started to creep back up, so it's time to start running again. I just hope that alone will do it because I really don't want to go back to counting points. I'll do it if I have to, but the last three months without it have been so nice.

How's that for a random recap?

The Best Laid Plans... Take Two

2007-10-03T17:28:00.000-04:00

We were doing a special event at school this morning that made me get out the door at 6:30. My plan was to get there around 7:00, get a couple things done, then catch a ride with someone else to the elementary school. I woke up craving McDonald's breakfast, so I cruised though the drive-thru.

While in the drive-thru, I had the radio off and I started hearing a funny noise. I dismissed it as coming from someone else's car. I gathered my food and turned onto the street, but was still hearing the noise. I turned the radio off once again and thought, "What the heck is that noise?"

And just then the battery light came on, freaking me way the hell out. I really don't handle situations like this well.

I pulled into the gas station and turned everything off, but left the motor running, knowing that, if the problem was electrical, I might not get it started again. And that was when I saw the steam coming from under the hood.

So I turned the car off, called a tow truck, called Principal to tell him I would be late, and waited. I did eventually get the Jeep delivered to the dealership and caught a ride to work with the shuttle van. I hadn't even gotten to work before the shuttle driver got a phone call that turned out to be for me. They had already found the problem (the water pump) and had an estimate for me. No one likes spending money on car repairs, but it wasn't bad as those things go.

I made it to work, having only missed the first hour and went about the rest of my day. But it's funny how one event can turn your entire day. I felt like I was in a haze. I had missed the morning's fun and now had to shell out over $400 for car repairs. Not how I planned on today going.

But it could have been worse. I could have been stranded in a bad part of town, or the repairs could have been much more. I guess I'll just hope that tomorrow is uneventful.

The Best Laid Plans

2007-10-01T21:26:00.000-04:00

Four weeks after school began and I finally came home without any work that needed to be done tonight. I spent a little time updating my MySpace page and had every intention of writing a nice long post here to update my life.

And then my laptop froze up. Again. It's been doing that lately.

Now, if there's a silver lining to this, at the time my laptop froze up I was chatting with my friend "Ryan." Once it froze, I ran out and logged into Messenger on my desktop to continue the conversation. I told him what happened and, as it happens, Ryan has some expertise with computers, so he ended up coming over and working on it.

He didn't solve all of its problems, or at least we don't think he did, but some of its more minor issues seem to have gone away. That makes me happy. And he promised to continue thinking on the problem and see what else he could come up with.

Plus, he's really cute and I like to look at him when he's sitting on my couch. Tonight he was all scruffy because he hasn't shaved his beard off. I got to touch it. Damn he's hot.

In other news...

My new job is going well. I love it. I just wish I could do it full time instead of still having those two classes each day. I've had some minor victories in the past few weeks where I've solved some problems for some people and figured out how to do some things on my own. I have fewer and fewer questions for my predecessor, and, in fact, I'm finding that I prefer to figure things out on my own over having her show me things. She's a wonderful lady and I owe so much to her, but I find that she's, on occasion, getting in my way. Today she was in subbing for my parapro and she got a bunch of stuff done that I simply hadn't had time to do yet. However, she was also on my office computer all day. And, at the end of the day, rather than asking me if I wanted her to, she went ahead and ran the system back-up (which I need practice doing) then shut down the computers. Too bad I wasn't done with them. She really is a fantastic person and there is so much more I can learn from her, but I also know there are things that I am already doing better than she ever did.

For the most part, I'm getting along fine with B. He does get obnoxious on occasion, but that's just his personality. It has nothing to do with our history. The worst part is not his fault. Tomorrow our Volunteer will be in and she is one of B.'s neighbors. She just goes on and on about how nice his girlfriend is and how she hopes things work out for them. I just have to stand there and grit my teeth. I usually try to pretend I am engrossed in something so I can keep from looking at her when she keeps talking about how happy and in love they are. It's not Volunteer's fault. She has no idea that B. and I once were in love. She has no idea that he used to tell me how much he wanted to marry me. Or that he broke my heart when he changed his mind about all that and neglected to fill me in.

On a non-work-related topic, I'm tentatively planning a weekend trip to Chicago this fall with my friend, "Amber" (I could have sworn I'd assigned her a name before, but I'll be darned if I can find it!). Amber and I have been friends since elementary school and always have a great time when we get together, so I'm really looking forward to this trip. It will be so nice to get away, plus, I've never experienced Chicago except on school trips, so it will be nice to take a more "grown-up" trip. I'm hoping we'll get to go see Wicked while we are there. Amber hasn't seen it yet and I am dying to see it again.

Time for The Bachelor... Hey, I'm taking advantage of this free evening!

Finally!

2007-09-10T20:22:00.001-04:00

My laptop came back to me on Thursday. I spent that evening and Friday evening reloading programs onto it since they had reformatted the hard drive to fix the wireless card issue. Well, that's what I did until it finally gave me just a blue screen along with a nice error message. But even before I got that, something just didn't seem right about it.

Turned out that, when they reformatted my hard drive, they installed an earlier version of Windows XP. I don't know if that was what caused the error message, but it sure seems suspect.

At any rate, when I got home from alumni band on Saturday I decided to use my recovery CDs to reformat the hard drive once again in an attempt to save my laptop. I figured it couldn't hurt anything since it was unusable in its current state.

Luckily this worked and I am now cruising along with use of my laptop once again.

What bothers me is that I've always had such positive experiences with Gateway up until now. I bought my desktop from them over five years ago with no problems at all. And, up until this summer, my laptop has been great. Whenever anyone criticized Gateway products, I was the first to speak up about how great mine were. I guess I won't be able to do that anymore. And I don't know what I'll buy the next time I need a new machine.

But in the meantime, I'm so happy to have my toy back!

So Tired... Must Use Bullets

2007-09-05T20:21:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was the first day of school for the kids. I've stayed at school until five o'clock the last two days. Yesterday I was trying to finish some work and today I had to wait around for a TV repairman. Everyone keeps asking me how things are going and I'm not sure how to answer. I tell them they are going well, but it's a little surreal to be at school all day sitting in my office (I have an office!) working on the computer while everyone else has a classroom full of kids. I know that is not the reality of the job though and it will be a little more normal next week when the classes start coming down.
B. made a point to talk to me on Wednesday last week (work related) and I almost laughed because it was like he was trying so hard to keep the conversation going even though he already knew what I had to say. Then he was the one to come find me the next day when the fifth grade teachers needed me in their meeting. And then later in the day we were both working (alone) in a back room off the library when he mentioned how he had seen my new tattoo in some of my Hawaii pictures that I had posted on MySpace (via his girlfriend's daughter). Ever since then it's been like old times with him... like way back when we were friends before there was ever a hint of something more. It's been kind of nice to have my friend back.
A teacher at the high school, who I used to be practically best friends with, delivered her twin boys today. A happy occasion, yes, but not as happy as it would have been in another month to six weeks. She was not quite at 30 weeks, but one baby's cord flow was bad and he was not getting what he needed. They have known for a month that the flow could deteriorate to the point that they would have to be delivered at any time. So the boys have arrived, weighing in at 3 lbs. 4 oz. and 1 lb. 13 oz. Please, anyone who is out there reading, please pray for these little guys and their parents, and if you don't believe in prayer, at least send them some positive thoughts.
Tomorrow I have dinner plans with Drew, who is leaving in five days with his Army Reserve unit. In another month he will be deployed. I refuse to believe anything other than that he will be coming home. Again... more prayers and positive thoughts, please.
On a brighter note, I finally got an e-mail yesterday saying that my laptop had been shipped back to me. I expected it to arrive today, but it didn't, so I'm hoping for tomorrow. I never realized how much I love that thing until I've had to go the last month without it!

The List--The Daddy-Do Edition

2007-09-02T18:53:00.000-04:00

I crossed four nagging little issues off my list this weekend. Or rather, I crossed them off after Dad did the work. Mom and Dad have intended to make the two hour plus trip all summer, but it never worked out until this week. Luckily they were able to come up before school started so I don't have to wait another year before having these items done!

Project #1--The Bedroom Door

Sorry, no before or after pics of this one but it makes no difference as they would look exactly the same! Ever since I had new carpet installed in April of last year, my bedroom door didn't shut anymore. The new carpet was that much plusher and stuck up that much more that it simply couldn't get close enough to latch. I needed Dad to cut a little off the bottom so it would latch again. Mission accomplished.

Project #2--Bathroom Faucet

I bought my new bathroom faucet about two years ago because I had a coupon at Lowe's. Since then it's just been sitting out in the garage waiting for Dad. And, unfortunately, I forgot about taking a before picture until it was too late, so behold the "during" photos.

Note the massive amounts of hair wrapped around the drain stopper. And there was much more in the drain. Gross, I tell you, gross.

But the after scene is a thing of beauty...

Oooooh, shiny.

Project #3 & 4--Kitchen Faucet and Garbage Disposal

Can you believe I've lived in my house for over three years now with no garbage disposal? Not a pressing matter, but inconvenient just the same. And the kitchen faucet has been leaky since day one... kind of annoying. I told Dad the faucet was something I'd like done, but I'd wait to see if he had time to do it during this round. He told me that, if I wanted a new faucet, it needed to happen before he put the disposal in. Good point, Dad. Of course, what I really want is new cabinets and such for my kitchen, but, unless my work pool won the $325 million lottery the other night, I don't see it happening.

So the faucet went in first. Before:

And after:

Once all was sealed with the faucet, it was time for the disposal to be installed and wired in. Before:

And after:

After seeing the deplorable condition under the sink, I decided that new contact paper was sorely needed. Apparently, there was a leaking problem that was allowed to sit at some point in the past. Add metal cabinets to this situation and that means a whole lot of rust.

Mom and Dad had driven up on Thursday afternoon and Dad was done with the door before I even got home from work! Then we made our shopping list and went out to dinner to celebrate Mom's birthday. After dinner Lowe's was our destination as I had another 10% off coupon. Dad spent a little time looking at John Deere lawnmowers as he is in the market for a new one. Then it was home to relax and eventually to bed.

We got up Friday morning and went to McDonalds for breakfast, then back to the house to start working. Dad and I made our first trip to the local hardware store about 10:00 a.m. The guy working there was very helpful and Dad had to share that he had everything we needed at home, but he was working 100 miles away. Once we told him what our projects were he told us we'd make at least three trips to the store that day. And he was right!

Mom and Dad had originally planned on heading home Friday, but when dinner time came and things were still not done, I hoped I'd be able to talk them into staying another night. My dad isn't as young as he once was and I knew he would be exhausted. Luckily, Dad had made up his mind by about 7:00 that they should stay another night. It was a good thing because it was about 9:00 p.m. before the last of the wiring for the disposal was done.

Though school is starting, I still have a few more items left on the list that I hope I will accomplish before winter arrives. I know that not everything will get done, but at least I've made a bigger dent this year than last... which was... none.

Gasping

2007-08-22T19:57:00.000-04:00

I saw B. at school today. First time since our talk on the last day. My heart still stops beating momentarily and I have to remind myself to breathe when I see him. This year should be fun.

But on a more positive note, I finally feel like I might be accomplishing something with my new job. And I made a list of things I need to focus on for the immediate future, so I can be a little more organized, too.

Having a meeting with Principal (former AP... who I don't particularly care for... for very good reason) tomorrow to discuss "roles" (his word, not mine). Should be enlightening.

Annoyed Beyond Words

2007-08-21T19:27:00.000-04:00

While I was in Hawaii, my laptop started having an endearing little problem where the screen would go almost entirely black. The first time this happened, I nearly cried until Heather told me to try closing it and opening it back up again. Sure enough, this worked and I was happy again.

Over the next few days of the trip, the black screen effect happened more and more frequently, and sometimes required the screen to be shut two or three times before it would come back on. This routine continued after my return to Michigan until about two weeks ago when it finally refused to come back on. At all.

Of course, all my pictures from my trip were still on my laptop.

Luckily, my new TV I bought back in December has a PC hookup so it can be used as a computer display. It even came with the cord I needed! So, I hooked it up (so I could see what I was doing) and transferred all the needed files to my flash drive so that I could save them on my desktop. Then I contacted Gateway and made arrangements to send it in and have the display fixed. It is out of warranty, so I knew it would not be cheap, but it would still be less than a new laptop that I couldn't really justify buying anyway.

My laptop came back to me yesterday and I was all excited to have it back. I unpacked the box and fired it up, marveling in the now-bright display. But I discovered mere moments later that there was a problem. I no longer had wireless capabilities. It wasn't just turned off... it just didn't work. I didn't even have the little icon down by the time that allowed me to search for networks, so it wasn't just that my own network wasn't working.

So now it has to go back to Gateway. The only good news is that, since this is obviously something that they did when repairing the display, there will not be a charge for repair. It just bugs me that, after just having to be without my laptop for almost two weeks, I now have to send it away for a couple more again.

FYI

2007-08-06T23:25:00.000-04:00

In case you hadn't noticed, I'm back dating posts to when they were formulated in my little brain, if not actually typed up. Unfortunately, we didn't have internet access during the entire trip (well, not free internet access anyway), and even when we did I was usually too busy to log on and post. So, scroll down and you'll see my most recent ramblings, even if they do have a date that is a week or more old.

Aloha Means Both Hello and Goodbye

2007-08-01T16:15:00.000-04:00

Monday morning came early, but not as early as Sunday. Once we were ready, we walked up to IHOP for breakfast, then returned to the hotel to pick up the car. The major plan for the day was to drive to Diamond Head Crater and then hike to the top.

When we arrived at the parking area we were turned away because it was full, but given directions back to a nearby community college where we could park, then walk up to the entrance. Sure, we thought, as long as we are here to hike, what’s a little more distance?

Once we returned to the entrance, we began the steady climb to the top. It wasn’t a difficult route as hikes go (it’s known for its accessibility), but we did have to stop periodically to catch our breaths and get some water. We were rewarded at the top with a spectacular view.

And then we came back down. A much easier hike than going up for certain!

After returning to the hotel, Heather went out to do a little more souvenir shopping, while I headed across the road to the famous Waikiki Beach.

Now, I am not the world’s strongest swimmer, and I seem to have this irrational fear of drowning, but I was not about to travel all the way to Hawaii and not swim in the Pacific Ocean! So I found myself wading out into the gentle surf and riding the swells with the best of them. Of course, I rarely allowed myself to be carried to where I couldn’t touch the bottom if needed!

After my oceanic experience, I stopped by the pool of our sister hotel (our hotel’s pool was undergoing maintenance that day, so we had passes to the much swankier pool across the street). It was a beautiful setting, and there were people wandering around offering me ice cream bars (now you know I’m easily amused).

Soon it was time to return to the hotel to clean up because Heather and I were meeting two ladies from her program at their hotel down the street for a luau. It was nice to see Judy and Jean again and we were very interested in seeing a luau. It was a fun evening, the food was fabulous, and our drinks were pretty (and yummy).

With Tuesday came our final day in Hawaii. In the morning we ventured out to find the Honolulu Hard Rock Café and Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. so that we could add to our collections started in Kona. Then we returned to the hotel to finish packing and check out. Leaving our bags with the porter, we walked up to the Cheesecake Factory where we were meeting a friend of mine from high school for lunch.

After a delicious lunch, complete with cheesecake, and time catching up with Karen (and making faces at her adorable little boy, Nick), we walked back to the hotel to pick up our luggage and our rental car. It was time to head for the airport.

I dropped Heather off at the terminal with our luggage, then attempted to return the rental car. I followed the signs to rental car return, but, unfortunately, our particular rental car company wasn’t listed on the signs. After making a few extra laps around the airport and several wrong turns, I finally found myself back where I had rented the car in the first place and was able to get the shuttle back to the terminal.

As we waited in line to check in, we discovered that the time of our flight had been changed… not by much, only ten minutes, but it was a good thing we were there in plenty of time. We checked our bags (Heather’s had gained too much weight during the trip so she had to pay extra) and looked at our boarding passes to discover that we would be much closer on this flight than on the way to Honolulu. I was directly behind Heather. This proved to be convenient as we could actually communicate during the flight.

And before we knew it, we were boarding our flight and taking off for Minneapolis. No delays this time and a smooth ride the entire way there. Neither Heather nor I could sleep though, which made our arrival at 6:00 a.m. (1:00 a.m. in Hawaii) a little miserable. We checked the departure board and found that, while my flight was leaving from the very next gate, Heather had a bit of a walk, so we hugged and said our goodbyes. Less than an hour later I was headed for Grand Rapids.

After my arrival at 9:15 a.m. (eastern time), I found Mom and went to baggage claim, hopeful that my bags had made the entire journey, and they had. I am, however, still cursing the moron who parked his baggage cart right behind me so that I fell over it and bruised my shin badly when I turned around. If he had only apologized, I would not be cursing him.

And then it was time to see my babies again. Copper chewed me out for about three minutes straight upon her release from her crate, but then she was ready to go sniff out some cats again. She and Coal both stuck to me for a four hour nap this afternoon, though. I don’t think they’ll let me out of their sight again until we are home, which won’t be until tomorrow. I’m not about to undertake a two hour drive at this point.

Sobering

2007-07-29T22:11:00.000-04:00

Heather and I arose bright and early this morning. So early it wasn’t even bright yet. The plan was to walk down to Denny’s for breakfast and return to the hotel in time to pick up the car and be on the road at 5:30 a.m. Well, we didn’t quite meet our deadline, but we were still on our way before 6:00.

We knew that we wanted to arrive at the USS Arizona Memorial well before the opening time of 7:30 a.m. We had also heard from another member of Heather’s program that she had arrived at 6:30 a.m. and been assigned to the ninth tour group. But we decided that arriving at 6:00 a.m. was about all the sacrifice we were willing to make during our vacation. Luckily, even with our actual arrival time of about 6:15 a.m., we were still the first people to arrive. Literally, the very first. As in, people who work there arrived after us.

So, we sat in the car for a few minutes, playing games on our iPods, applying sunscreen, and calling people back home to tell them where we were (it wasn’t rude, it was afternoon there). Within about 15 minutes other cars started to arrive, and when we saw the first tour bus arrive, we knew it was time to get in line.

The early rising paid off. When the park ranger started handing out tickets 45 minutes later, we were in group one. We entered the visitor center and had time for a quick bathroom break before entering the theatre where a 23 minute film about the attack on Pearl Harbor and the memorial is shown. From there it was directly onto the shuttle boat, run by the Navy, which would take us to the memorial.

The boat ride was a somber eight minutes. It is deliberately that long because it took the same length of time for the Arizona to sink following the torpedo hit. Every person aboard the shuttle sat in quiet reverence for the sacrifice made all those years ago by the thousands who died during the attack on Pearl Harbor. And to think that I was, at that moment, gliding through calm waters that were once so memorably disturbed by torpedoes and machine guns was unimaginable.

Our time on the memorial was limited, as we would leave when the next group arrived, so mixed in with the somber mood was an urgency to see as much as we possibly could. A few highlights: The bases of gun turrets still visible above and just below the water.
The flagpole erected so that the USS Arizona would forever fly her country’s colors.

And, of course, the shrine room, where the name of every man killed on the Arizona is listed, in alphabetical order instead of by rank, because no man’s life is worth more than any other.

And when it was time to leave the memorial, I was struck by the feeling that many of us on the shuttle left a piece of our hearts behind with the men still entombed there.

A sobering way to begin the day, but luckily, things cheered quickly with a visit to the USS Bowfin (the Pearl Harbor Avenger she was called as she was launched one year to the day after the attack), a submarine docked nearby. Both Heather and I noted that we could never work on a submarine! I don't think I could rest well knowing that there was a torpedo right below me!

Then it was time for the shuttle bus to the battleship USS Missouri, on the deck of which the formal surrender documents ending World War II were signed.

I felt I would do better on board a battleship than a submarine, but then, we never got further below decks than one level. If I had to go further down than that, I don’t think I’d do well. I was impressed, though, that the crew did have a library on board! (I'm such a nerd.)

We arrived back at our hotel about 3:00, but it felt much later (probably due to the fact that we had been up since about 4:00 a.m.). Heather went to do some shopping while I visited the pool. We met back up later for dinner at the Yardhouse, quite the happening restaurant/bar that played great music.

And now we’re back in the room. Another excursion is planned for tomorrow, but luckily, the alarm won’t be going off quite as early!

Just Chillin'

2007-07-28T21:53:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was the ultimate tourist day. Heather was gone all day, so I enjoyed the amenities of our hotel and surrounding area. First I walked around and made good use of my digital camera, then decided to enjoy the lagoon and pool. Sounds like a fun, relaxing day, and it was.

At least until I gouged a nice cut into my left foot in the lagoon. I didn’t realize I had done it at first. I thought my foot hurt a bit as I was swimming to the front of the lagoon, but it wasn’t until I was drying off that I looked down to see the blood pooling by my foot. But did that stop me from moving on to the hotel pool? Of course not. I had to get in at least a few minutes of prime sunning time.

Later, when I returned to the room to shower, I investigated my injury. Definitely cut and definitely needing some Neosporin, but nothing that I felt required medical treatment. Of course, it did take a couple of days to get all the sand out of it. And I guess I’ll always have the scar to remember my trip to Hawaii!

After getting cleaned up, I ventured out along Ali’i Drive to do a little shopping for souvenirs until Heather got back from her day’s activities. When she did I learned that the entire program plus the spouses and add-ons (like me) would be going to the Kona Brewing Co. for pizza and beer that night. What I didn’t realize until later that night was that her instructor, Chuck, was buying dinner and the first round of drinks! I guess he must make some good money showing people around the Big Island. Oh, and by the way, when in Hawaii, you must sample some of the brews from the Kona Brewing Co. I had the Lilikoi Wheat Ale and it was incredibly yummy. Unfortunately, this particular brew is only available at the brewpubs on the islands, so I guess I won’t get it again for a very long time.

After leaving Kona Brewing Co., we ventured across the street from our hotel to LuLu’s, which appeared to be a happening place. There was more fun to be had at LuLu’s: beverages, dancing, flirting with young men on vacation… ah, good times.

Saturday morning arrived bright and early. Heather wanted to do some shopping and we had lunch plans with a couple from her program before heading to the itty-bitty Kona airport for our flight back to Honolulu. We dropped off the rental car and waited to check in with Hawaiian Airlines. And waited. And waited some more. As Heather put it, “I don’t think I’ve ever been in such a small airport, or such an inefficient one.”

But we finally found our way to Honolulu. And then the adventure began. I don’t think I’m a fan of driving in Honolulu. Far too many one-ways and all the street names seem to start with K, making things a little confusing (this was very much the case on the Big Island, too). Of course, it probably didn’t help that I forgot to pick up a map at the car rental desk..

Eventually, we got a map and located our hotel, but once we did we were exhausted and the best plan we could think of for dinner was the McDonalds that was just a few blocks away. And yet we still got a bit of surprise when the cashier placed the container of fresh cut pineapple on each of our trays. The look Heather and I exchanged was priceless. We both seemed to be wondering, “Were we supposed to specify that we wanted French fries with our value meals?” But no, it seems that McDonalds in Waikiki included pineapple as part of the meal… at least that one did!

And then it was back to the Waikiki Parc for bed as we plan to be up early tomorrow to go to Pearl Harbor. My little history geek nerves are just tingling with excitement!

At Rainbow’s End

2007-07-27T09:28:00.000-04:00

Heather’s group loaded up the van at 8:00 yesterday morning while I headed out in the rental car to see the waterfalls. My first stop was Rainbow Falls, primarily known for the rainbows visible at the bottom of the falls if viewed in the morning when the sun is behind you (If you look close, you can see one).

Then I continued on to the Boiling Pots and Pe’epe’e Falls (pronounced Peh-eh Peh-eh). Unfortunately, the current was a bit too calm for the pots to be boiling (they aren’t actually boiling… it’s just the way they look when the current is strong), but the falls were still spectacular.

Next stop was Wai’ale Falls, which showed the massive power that that the current is carrying. All of these falls were within about three miles of our hotel in Hilo. Then I returned to Dolphin Bay to pack up the car. I had Heather’s bags to load in addition to my own because she didn’t really want her luggage strapped to the top of the van for transport (I don’t blame her!). We didn’t want to load them in the car before she left because the parking areas at the falls are notorious for break-ins.

After loading up and checking out, I visited the Pacific Tsunami Museum in Hilo and learned about the devastating tsunamis that have hit Hilo in the past, and the efforts that have been made to reduce the death and destruction should one occur in the future (which they know will happen). Then I had a quick lunch, spotted an out-of-state license plate (I won the license plate game!!), and visited some of the areas that had been wiped out by the tsunamis. One (Lili’uokalani Gardens—named for Queen Lili’uokalani) is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.

Another has made a clock which is stopped at the moment of impact into a monument.

Next was a quick stop to snap a picture of Kamehameha the Great before hitting the road for Kailua-Kona. But the sightseeing wasn’t even close to done. As I drove up Highway 19 along the Hamakua Coast, I made a few more stops. I ventured along the four-mile scenic route, making a stop to view a cove with some crashing waves. Later I took a side road to see the spectacular Akaka Falls and neighboring Kahuna Falls. Finally it was time to begin the two hour drive to the west side of the island. I arrived at the Royal Kona Resort about 5:15, but the rest of the group wasn’t there yet, so I could do nothing but drive around and see where things were until Heather called to tell me they had arrived and I could return to the hotel to check in. We then got cleaned up and met in the lobby at 7:30 so that we could go to the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. for dinner, drinks, and good times.

Exhaustion finally brought us back to the Royal Kona so we could turn in for the night and prepare for another day.

Breathtaking

2007-07-26T22:03:00.000-04:00

That is the only word to describe yesterday’s excursion. I again had an opportunity to tag along with Heather’s group for the day. And what a day it was. We drove to the top of Mauna Kea, the world’s tallest volcano (it’s dormant… we’re not crazy!), and then hiked to the very summit (13,796 feet above sea level). On top of the mountain there are multiple observatories looking at everything from astronomy to global warming. We got to go inside of one of them, but didn’t actually get to see a lot because we were there in the daytime and their active time is at night.

But the views… the views were staggering. To be able to look out over the Pacific Ocean and look down on the clouds… unbelievable.

The trip is made slowly due to the change in altitude. The first 6000 feet were hardest for me because we were driving along a winding road (“across the Saddle” between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa). I find as I get older that I am more prone to motion sickness, so I was pretty happy when we stopped every now and then to catch our breaths. Those stops also gave Heather’s group leader a chance to explain things in the landscape. Eventually we headed up the Mauna Kea access road to the visitor information center. Visitors are expected to spend a minimum of a half hour at the visitor center to allow their bodies a chance to adjust (we stayed about an hour and a half… there was a video… and a gift shop). We were a little disturbed to learn that pregnant women and children under 16 should not ascend to the top because the change in altitude, change in pressure, and lower levels of oxygen can actually affect development!

After leaving the visitor information center, we continued up the ten mile road to the top. The first five miles are unpaved… we think to discourage the faint at heart. Then the road is paved again, but still very winding. Luckily, we were forced to travel as speeds slow enough to keep any motion sickness at bay. As along the Saddle Road, we stopped periodically so that Chuck could explain different layers of rock and formations caused by glaciers. We also added layers of clothing at each stop. By the time we reached the top, I wished I had my winter coat and gloves… in Hawaii!!

At the end of the road we gazed out on the amazing view and Chuck pointed out the trail to the top of another peak, explaining that it was the actual summit of Mauna Kea. At that point I was pretty tired from hiking and traveling, but figured that, I’d gone that far, I might as well go all the way.

And then it was time to descend. After another rest at the visitor center, we headed back to Hilo along that winding Saddle Road. I was very happy to see the hotel again! Then Scott, the husband of a program participant and my driver that day drove me out to the airport to pick up our rental car because Thursday (today) was moving day. After dinner at a fabulous Mexican restaurant, we returned to Dolphin Bay (our hotel) to pack up and go to bed.

“It’s going to be about another 20 minutes. Thanks for your patience.”

2007-07-24T15:20:00.000-04:00

In the larger scheme of things, the first day of our trip (Sunday) was pretty uneventful. All of our stress came as a result of a ridiculous delay in Minneapolis. The video system on the plane wasn’t working right, so the technicians were working on it as we boarded. Now, while it is nice to have the video system for an eight hour flight, we probably could have lived without it. I, myself, only used it to watch the plane’s progress along our route and to see what time it was both at home and at our destination (I was too busy reading Harry Potter).

At any rate, it took about 40 minutes to actually fix the video system (with this post’s title for an update every so often… it was always going to be another 20 minutes), and I have no problem waiting that long to have it done. What I did have an issue with was waiting for yet another hour and 20 minutes for the paperwork to get done! I mean, seriously… couldn’t the paperwork have been done en route?

So we got into Honolulu a little late. We managed to make up about 45 minutes in the air, but it wasn’t enough. We were supposed to land at 2:42 local time, but it didn’t happen until 4:15. Kind of a problem since Heather and I were supposed to be on a 4:20 flight to Hilo. I also didn’t want my mom to worry since I had told her I would call her about 9:00 (Eastern Time) when we got to Honolulu. I was already over an hour late in that promise, but I did call her as soon as we could turn cell phones back on to put her mind at ease.

I decided then that I wasn’t going to stress about it. I knew we would get to Hilo sooner or later and I wasn’t going to worry about it. It was pretty important for Heather to get to Hilo Sunday night since her program started at 8:00 a.m. the next day, but I was on vacation! I had no set time table, so I would be okay.

Heather had booked her entire trip together, so she didn’t have to claim her bag and re-check in with Hawaiian Airlines. This allowed her to go directly to her next gate and get on the standby list for the next flight. She ended up getting on the 5:20 flight. I had booked my inter-island flights separately, so I did have to claim my bag and check back in, but I still managed to get on the 6:20 flight.

It was about 8:00 by the time I got to the hotel and I was exhausted. So was Heather. We had both only gotten about two hours of sleep the night before (Heather had to get up at 3:15 to make her first flight) and didn’t sleep a wink on the flight from Minneapolis. It was comical how slap-happy we were from exhaustion and hunger. We ordered a pizza and went to bed about 10:00. But you should keep in mind that it was already 4:00 a.m. back home… which was about the time I had gotten home from the class reunion the previous night. And Heather had been up for almost 25 hours at that point.

And we slept so well, we barely even heard the tiny little tree frogs with the big voices that sound like a relaxation CD.

“Can you GET homeowner’s insurance in a lava plain?”

2007-07-23T22:37:00.000-04:00

Today was the first day of Heather’s program and she was scheduled to be gone all day. We both awoke early (around 5:00 a.m.) due to the six hour time difference from home. My plan was to go for a run when she left at 8:00, then do a little reading and exploring, find a grocery store and pick up a little sustenance for our hotel room.

However, I soon had a much better option. Heather returned to the room and asked me if I wanted to go with them to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. There were other “add-ons” who were going to follow the program’s van and there was a spot open in the car. I absolutely wanted to go see the volcanoes (and had actually planned to do so on my own once I pick up our rental car), so I quickly pulled a t-shirt on over my sports bra and threw a few necessary items into my backpack (so glad I decided to pack my old backpack from freshman year of college!).

The day was amazing. I know I can’t fully describe the magnitude of seeing the Kilauea Caldera, the lava tubes, Devil’s Throat Crater, the only tropical rainforest on American soil, or the way the sky glowed over the most recent eruption. We stood on a huge lava plain that had been a town and housing subdivision until the 1990s… the top layer of rock was about two years old. The only thing that kept it from being a perfect day was the absence of flowing lava. The only active lava flow on the island is in areas inaccessible to anyone without a helicopter. There was a couple who had taken a helicopter tour yesterday and they did get to see the lava flow. They said it was incredible.

It was an incredibly long, physically taxing day, but it was well worth it. Even if I had driven out to the national park on my own, there is no way I would have seen many of the things I saw today. Chuck, the man leading Heather’s program took us to areas that I never would have ventured into alone. There were numerous times that we simply pulled to the side of the road and started walking. And there were a great deal of instances where we ignored warning signs and those forbidding entry. And those were the best part!

And I can go to the grocery store tomorrow.

“I’m still waiting for the naked laps around the port-a-potty”

2007-07-22T15:17:00.000-04:00

I’m currently sitting on an airplane*, but more about that later. First I must update on the fun that was my fifteen year high school class reunion.

Originally, the class reunion was to be a pig roast held at the home of one of my former classmates. Unfortunately, there was not a great response by the RSVP deadline, so plans were dialed back to a potluck, but there would still be a party. I knew I was going to go since I would be at Mom and Dad’s that night anyway, and they live only a few minutes away. I was just hoping that a few people that I had been friends with would also be there.

After arriving fashionably late, I chatted with a couple different groups of friends. First was the group that I was friends with because we were all in choir in high school. Then I moved on to a couple girls I was close with in junior high. I had a good time catching up with them, and, before long, my friends Chad and Mark arrived and I spent the vast majority of the rest of the night clowning around with them.

It turned into quite the long night as the bonfire was lit and the drinks continued to flow. Of course there was the perfunctory catching up with classmates (many of which I never knew all that well when I was in school), and lots of inside jokes (including the title of this post). I was told by many that I look very much the same as I did in high school (in a good way) and that it’s almost like I haven’t aged at the same rate as everyone else. I exchanged contact information with a couple of people and I hope that we really will stay in closer contact.

I got home at 4:00 a.m., which made the alarm going off at 6:45 a.m. very unwelcome. I’m hoping I’ll be able to sleep a little during the flight.

*I am on the plane as I type this, but will obviously have to post it later. I’m not sure of my internet access, so it may be a few days!

It's Hard Work Being a Murderer

2007-07-21T17:28:00.000-04:00

Copper may have committed her second murder in a year and a half. The first could have been deemed accidental (how was she to know that chasing that bunny rabbit around the yard might cause him to keel over from stress?), but there is no mistaking this one was cold-blooded murder.

The only thing is... I didn't witness the attack, so I only assume. Her accomplice was the one actually found with the body, but said accomplice is used to baby kitties, so I doubt she is the guilty party. I believe that she was only an accessory after the fact in her attempt to hide the body.

It's my own fault... If I had known there were baby kitties at ground level, I would have been watching her more closely. I keep joking about how the boarding kennel is like doggie prison (as opposed to her crate, which is just doggie jail), but maybe she's headed for incarceration for real!

And We're Off!!

2007-07-21T10:55:00.000-04:00

Personally, I think it is a testament to my blogging dedication when I am sitting here typing instead of packing up the Jeep with my suitcases and pet paraphernalia like I should be. I was just afraid that, if I didn't update now, I might not get a chance again for a while. See, in the next hour or so, I will be departing for my parents' house. Tonight is my fifteen year high school class reunion, and tomorrow, I am headed for Hawaii!! I'm really hoping to have at least occasional internet access on my trip or else I will be having some serious withdrawal issues. You probably wouldn't know it from how infrequently I post, but I am majorly addicted to the internet.

At any rate, a brief recap:

My iPod chose this week to crash on me. It pretends like it is syncing to the computer when I plug it in, but, when all is said and done, it has no music on it. Or rather, the files are there (because it shows that the correct amount of the hard drive is being used), but it is not recognizing them as music or something. I tried everything to get it to work again, but to no avail. It might be fixable, but I can't spend 20 hours on a plane over the next two weeks and not have my tunes, so I bought a new one yesterday. I can't believe how much money I have spent this month.
Speaking of money, at least I avoided this purchase... not that I wanted to. I found the cutest sundress yesterday and it was on sale!! But do you think they had one that fit me? No way. Lots that were one or two sizes too small and one that was a size too big, but none that worked for me. I hate that.
I joined the midnight insanity at Barnes and Noble last night to buy my copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I originally intended to just go pick it up this morning, but decided that I would still be up packing anyway and it would save me a trip this morning. I haven't started reading it though due to lack of free time... maybe this afternoon. But for now it is packed in my laptop case and will be cracked open no later than tomorrow morning on my flight to Minneapolis (and then on to Honolulu after I meet up with Heather).
Copper is going to have her first boarding kennel experience while I'm gone. She and Coal will be at my parents' house the majority of the time, but Mom and Dad are going to a tractor show next weekend and we don't think she'd handle that kind of stress very well. They take their own dog, but she has gone to them since she was a puppy and is used to them. Copper was a wreck after watching a small town parade a few weeks ago. I'm just glad I'm not the one who has to drop her off there... I think I'd cry!

So, I may be posting next from the Big Island of Hawaii... or Oahu... or my parents' dining room... or maybe right back here at home! Only time will tell.

It's Amazing What You Find...

2007-07-17T23:13:00.000-04:00

I started cleaning the garage today. And, yes, it is a list item, but it's not done yet because I have a large piece of furniture that needs to be removed before I will post pictures. But here's the funny part... Look what I found once I started moving things around (and no, I'm not referring to the My Little Pony paraphernalia... I knew that was there!):

That's right ladies and gentlemen... a full six-pack of lemon flavored Propel water. The date stamped on each bottle is "Feb 27 06" which leads me to believe that it was purchased some time in mid 2005... approximately two years ago. But, hey, it's water, right? I now have it in the refrigerator and I'll try one tomorrow. If it tastes nasty, I'll dump them out, but what have I got to lose?

Say It Isn't So

2007-07-16T22:46:00.000-04:00

I was in Target today doing a little shopping for my upcoming trip when I saw that all the freaking Back to School stuff is out! Already?? It's only mid-July! And we don't start until after Labor Day (by law)! This is just wrong!

Oh Yeah... The Party

2007-07-16T10:36:00.001-04:00

The party (last Saturday) was a lot of fun. A couple people we were expecting didn't show, but it was okay because they weren't people from work and almost everyone who was there was from work. They probably would have felt a little lost anyway. The one person who wasn't from work that did come didn't stay very long. She swore up and down that she was just tired, and I'm sure she was, but I also know that, if she'd been having a good time, she would have stayed longer than an hour. I feel kind of bad about that.

But overall, it was a great time. There was booze, there were snacks, and there was a whole bunch of gossiping over work politics. This allowed us to laugh a lot!

I was concerned that Copper was going to end up in her crate (where she would cry and howl) due to bad behavior, but she actually was pretty well behaved. There were a few who nearly lost the food on their plates because they put it a little too close to the beagle, but I don't think she actually got anything. And, as I had hoped (but didn't actually expect) she only barked at the first couple people to arrive. After that, I think she decided there were too many people to figure out who had been there awhile and who had just arrived. Even Coal ended up coming out of hiding and became social after a while. This surprised me greatly as he is not a fan of crowds. He's a weird enough cat in that, if one or two people are over, he is all over them wanting to be petted, but I didn't imagine him coming out from under the bed the whole night!

Lots of pictures were taken, but, being the paranoid one that I must be, I cannot post them here. It would be kind of a dead giveaway seeing as, not only am I in them, but lots of others from work as well! But those of you who are my MySpace friends can check out the group photo on there if you want.

The List--Installment #2

2007-07-15T21:29:00.000-04:00

Project #3--Sew Bedroom Curtains

Actually, these have been done for a little over a week. They were on the short list of things that I wanted done before my party last Saturday, and, while most things on the short list still didn't get done, this one did. It only took me ten months after painting the bedroom and buying the fabric!

Is It Too Much to Ask?

2007-07-15T19:17:00.000-04:00

Ever get home from the grocery store and find that you didn't get what you asked for at the deli counter? I mean, I guess it's not a huge deal, but it just annoys me that when I pointed right at the turkey breast that was on sale, I was instead given another brand that cost $2.00 more per pound. Or, at the very least, that's what I was charged for. Guess that will teach me not to check the label before I leave the counter.

Just Beachy

2007-07-06T21:03:00.000-04:00

I enjoyed a fantatic day at the beach today. It was absolutely perfect... temperature... sun... water... all fantastic. I even managed to sufficiently cover myself with sunscreen so I'm not in pain from sunburn tonight. If I were to have a complaint, it would only be about the mess of rocks that one must go through in the first several feet of water in order to get to the sandy part of Lake Huron. But, other than that, it was fantastic. A few photos:I'm trying to take more pictures. I used to be really into it, but that was back in the days of film cameras. I know, what an ancient contraption! At any rate, I'm sure I'll have lots of opportunity in Hawaii in a couple of weeks.

And I will leave you with the thought for the day: As we were driving home, I was talking about how I've been putting Copper in her crate when I'm gone again because she's been a little too destructive lately and I found a wet spot on the carpet when I was painting last week. I hadn't been gone very long that day, so I knew she had done it because she was mad at me, not because she couldn't hold it.

Heather's thought: "What if people did that? Peed on your floor when they were mad at you? Imagine (assistant principal's) office."

The List--Installment #1

2007-07-01T22:13:00.002-04:00

I am a big fan of lists. I have a list of things that have to be done at work (when I'm working, that is). I have a list of regular chores that need to be done at home. And then I have the summer list. This year's list is particularly lengthy since it is my first summer in three years that I actually have time to get some things done around the house. What's really sad though, is that when I pulled the legal pad out of the cupboard to make this year's list, I found last year's list still present... without a single item crossed off. So the items that didn't get accomplished last year were simply added to this year's list

At any rate, I'm pretty proud of having crossed two tasks off my list already this summer! And to celebrate the accomplishment of my tasks, I've decided to chronicle them with photos (before and after, as applicable) as I finish them.

Project #1--Flower Beds

The corners of my backyard are notoriously difficult to mow, so I decided to put in some new flowerbeds. Here is flower bed #1 before:

And here it is after. It doesn't look like much now, but I've planted some perenial seeds, so hopefully it will be pretty next year.

And here is flower bed #2 before:

And after:

Project #2--New Paint in the Living Room

I love the fresh look that new paint brings to a room, so I've been wanting to do the living room almost since I moved in. But the living room is a large room with lots of trim that requires painting right next to the carpet. As much as I wanted the new look, I was really not looking forward to actually doing the work. But, one week after commencing the project, I am thrilled to say that I am done!

Living room before (very before as this photo was actually taken over a year ago when I got the new carpet):And after:

So that's two projects done. I still have many more to go, but most are not as major as painting the living room (thank goodness!). I'm hoping several of them will get done this week as I am having a gathering at my house on Saturday and it would be nice to have my house looking nice when people are over. Here's hoping for the best!

Of Course

2007-06-30T23:32:00.000-04:00

With the installation of the new Dish Network system, I needed a phone line jack splitter for the living room so that I could plug both the satellite receiver and the telephone into the same jack. I was sure I had one at one time, but since I haven't had a phone in nearly five years, and have moved in the meantime, I couldn't find it in any of the places I suspected it might be. So I stopped at Walmart tonight and picked one up, thinking to myself, "Now that I've bought one, I'll probably find the one I have already."

About ten minutes after I opened the package (and trashed it) and plugged the jack in, that's exactly what I did. In fact, I found the motherload of telephone cords. Two average length phone cords, two ridiculously long telephone cords, and one splitter. Why I ever needed so many telephone cords I'll never be able to figure out.

Already?

2007-06-29T14:55:00.000-04:00

My new phone line was turned on for all of 48 hours before the telemarketers found me. Now I've had three calls in the last 24 hours. So last night I stopped by and registered my new number on the Do Not Call list. They still have 31 days to take me off their lists, and it's going to be a long 31 days.

But I also got my first "real" phone call... my mom... the only person I've given the number to so far!