Or... Maybe Not

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...

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?

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

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.

Caffeinated Blogging

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

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.

Why Bother?

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.

NaBloPo... NO!

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

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.

Running Out of August

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..."

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**

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

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...

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

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

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)

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

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.

I'll Take Random for 500, Alex

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

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

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?