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.

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.

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.

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.

I'm a Running Fool

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!

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

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?

Numbskulls, Fat Beagles, Running Away, and Internet Piracy

First, the Numbskulls:

A little over a month ago, I received a notice that repayment would begin on the student loan I took out to pay for graduate school on March 7. I logged onto the loan company's website and registered for automatic payments, and was told that it would take 30 days to process my request and the first automatic payment would not take place until the April 7 payment date. A few days later I got a letter in the mail thanking me for enrolling in their automatic payment program and stating again that the first payment would take place on April 7. I knew that I needed to send a check for the March 7 payment.

Fast forward to March 9 when I cruised through the ATM at my credit union to make a quick cash withdrawal. Except I was told that there were insufficient funds for the withdrawal. Huh, I thought, I could have sworn I had well over $100 in that account, but maybe I paid a bill that I forgot about. When I got home I checked my checkbook only to find that, indeed, I should have had $138 in my account, definitely enough for my measly $50 withdrawal. So I logged onto my account to discover the problem. Not only had my check to the loan company cleared, but they had also taken out the automatic payment!

I didn't think they could do anything about it, but I wanted to make clear to the loan company that I was pretty annoyed that they had overdrawn my checking account, so I called them. They swore up and down that it always takes 30 days to process the automatic payments, but I was living proof that, this time, it only took about a week. In the end, the loan company offered to redeposit one of the payments back into my checking account, but it would take 10 days so they could be sure my check cleared (uh, did I not mention that I KNOW my check cleared already... hence the problem?). But anyway, I checked my bank balance every couple of days to see if my money was back, but was always disappointed. I logged back onto the loan company's site last week to discover that I was no longer credited with the extra payment, but still no deposit to my account... where the heck was my money?

Finally, yesterday, there was a check in my mailbox. Oh well, I thought, must be they couldn't do it automatically. And then I opened the envelope. They refunded BOTH payments to me. And yet they are still crediting me with one of them. Is it any wonder that these companies go bankrupt?

Next, the fat beagle.

For the last few months, whenever anyone has come to the house, it seems they have commented on my little girl's chubbiness. I knew she had put a few pounds on over the winter, but didn't think it was any big deal. Spring is here and we'll be going on more walks and running around the backyard a lot more soon.

And then we went to the vet for her heartworm test yesterday. She walked on the scale and I gasped... 41.4 pounds! On a dog that should max out about 35! She has put on seven pounds since she was there in September. So I guess the denial is over. She's not just a little chubby and it's time to go on a diet. I guess it just runs in the family, but I feel so mean when I deny her the extra treats.

Next, running away.

I was worried late last week when I hadn't been to the gym in nearly two weeks that I had lost all the ground I had gained in becoming a runner. The day before I got sick I had run nearly two miles and was quite proud of myself. Luckily, my illness and absence from the gym didn't hurt me all that much. When I ventured back on Sunday I was still able to run a mile in quarter-mile increments. Then, yesterday, I couldn't get to the gym due to Copper's appointment (I refuse to go after dinner... it's far too busy and I can't get on any of the machines), but it was a fantastic day (76 degrees), so I went running outside. Knowing that it is more difficult to run outside than on a treadmill, I would have been happy with a half or three-quarters of a mile, but I still managed to get in the full mile! Then, today I was back at the gym and I did 1.25 miles (plus three-quarters of a mile of walking) before getting on the elliptical machine. Oh, and I finally got my heart rate monitor fixed so I can keep track of calories burned again, too. Turns out it really was just a dead battery, so the lady at Walmart who told me the battery was fine was wrong. Plus I didn't know there was a little reset switch to hold down after changing the battery, so thanks to the nice guy at Timex who helped me when I called.

And finally, Internet Piracy.

That was where this post was supposed to end, but when I turned on my laptop, it failed to connect to my wireless network. I looked at the available networks to discover that my own network has somehow become a secured network since I used my laptop all of two days ago, and I have no idea what the key is to log onto it. Guess I've got some investigation to do. In the meantime, it's a good thing that one of my neighbors also has an unsecured network that I was able to connect to. What's a little sharing among friends? I'm sure more than one neighbor has used mine at some point.

Blogger's Block

So I was chatting with my friend Drew the other day and somehow a comment was made about me being "gym addicted."

Huh?

Well, seeing as I hadn't been to the gym in nearly a week, and even then I had only done about three days out of the previous ten, I asked Drew what made him think that. He replied that he had read in my blog about how I was doing really well with getting to the gym regularly.

Oops. Guess it's time to update.

So here I am. There have been lots of days that I have wanted to share tidbits, but for some reason the thoughts just haven't made it to the computer screen. Sorry about that.

It appears that blogger's block is going around. I've noticed a few of my favorite bloggers mentioning a lack of ambition or fodder. I guess I'm just joining the club. I'm such a sheep.

So, some highlights:

• While the diet part of the weight loss journey is going okay, the exercise has been not so much. I've been so exhausted when I come home from work that I just can't do it. I usually do alright on weekends, but this past one I was sick with a cold and so had no ambition.
• Hawaii appears to be a go. Heather is supposed to get the final word this week and then I guess it will be time to make the plane reservations. Six nights on the big island of Hawaii (where her conference is) and three on Oahu. I cannot wait.
• I'm also chaperoning a school trip to Chicago next month to see the musical Wicked. I am so excited! I read the book over winter vacation and then got hooked on the soundtrack, and while I am bothered by some of the changes from book to stage, I still am really looking forward to seeing the stage production.
• Our superintendent denied my request to move to the MA+30 payscale because my +30 hours are not graduate hours, even though our contract says nowhere that they must be. I filed a grievance last week and our union president is doing a fantastic job of getting people fired up about it. And all this over a measly $1000 a year.
• Also on the job front, our media specialist is retiring at the end of this year. This is the job that I just finished a Master's degree to do, but with the sad state of the budget, it is questionable whether she will be replaced. At any rate, I received information today that indicates that the position may not be eliminated, and I may be moving into it afterall. Keep your fingers crossed!
• I was under the impression that I would receive a six month grace period on my student loans after finishing my Master's degree, just like I did when I finished my Bachelor's and my endorsement. And yet both the companies that I owe my first-born to sent me bills for this month. That's $350/month that I wasn't expecting to have to start shelling out until June. Crap!

Yeah, I think that's it. I really need to start having a more interesting life so that I have more to write about.

Tradition

The milestone has been reached. We have completed the first 100 days of school for the year. Kind of anti-climatic seeing as we didn't have school Monday or Tuesday this week. See, when the wind chill reaches below -20 degrees, they don't like to make the kids stand outside to wait for the bus. Relatively silly reason to cancel school if you ask me, but at least I got a nice four day weekend out of the deal.

In other news:

• I've actually been getting my lazy butt to the gym fairly regularly. Six days out of the last nine. I figure that's not bad for just getting back into it. To reward myself, I intend to use my Best Buy reward certificates (that I got when I bought my new TV) toward a new iPod Shuffle. I already have an iPod, but since I've started running somewhat regularly, I think the new Shuffle will be quite handy.
• Heather and I are planning a trip to Hawaii this summer. Yes, I know, we should make this trip in the winter, but we are teachers, so we don't have the vacation time then. Plus, Heather's trip will be paid for entirely by her school because she will be attending a science conference while we are there. I'm not so lucky, but it will still be worth it. All the more reason to keep working out... want to look good in a swimsuit for the beach!
• And speaking of the trip, my portion will be paid for using a portion of my income tax refund. I finished filing when I had the day off on Monday and, due in great part to my tuition credit, I'm getting over $3500 back. The rest will pay down some debt.
• Coal has been driving me nuts lately. He wants to be a night owl, which is unusual for him. He gets behind the dresser and bats at the electric cords. He bangs on the closet door until it opens enough for him to get in, then he knocks stuff around inside. He jumps up on the dresser and knocks off everything that isn't nailed down. And all while I am trying to sleep. So he gets shut out of the bedroom, but then Copper can't get out when she wants a drink of water, which happens way more often than I ever thought.
• My friend Sue and her two girls will be in town this weekend. The girls (9 and 13) are competing in a cheerleading/dance thing in the town where I teach. They are staying in a hotel Friday night, but will likely be staying at my place Saturday. I guess that means I have to get the rest of the Christmas stuff cleaned out of my spare bedroom so there is room for the air mattress.
• And Lost is back on tonight. So that will be all