When I Win

I don't know what your opinions are on the lottery, but tonight's record setting $540 million MegaMillions jackpot tempted me in to buying some chances.  And I fully intend on winning...1 in 176 million chances be darned!  Here's my plan for my winnings, because dreaming is totally the best part!

• I would quit my job, effective immediately.  Now, I know I am supposed to say that I would continue teaching like nothing was different, but teaching is hard work that requires great amounts of time and consideration, and I am not going to have time for all that with everything else I have planned.  I adore my job and my "kids" but I promise to soften the blow...
• I would set up a sizeable foundation for my school, which is also my alma mater.  There are so many things we could do if we just had the resources.  After my win, that's won't be a problem.
• I would also set some money aside to build a track complex at the school, which I would want named after me, only because there's something hilarious about naming it after a short, round track coach who never ran track. 
• But, with my newfound wealth, I would be getting a personal trainer to the stars and a home gym so I never again have to watch some college-age gazelle barely break a sweat on the elliptical while I sweat pools in the most unattractive way possible.  Once I was gloriously healthy...
• I would travel...everywhere.  I would stay in NYC until I had seen every show, spend whole months lounging at the beach, visit every nerdy history sight I could come up with, see all of the history of Europe, go on a safari and see the animals in the wild...
• And for all that traveling, I'm going to need a brand new camera with all of the lenses and lessons on how to really use the thing.
• I would buy my parents new cars and finally give my mother the kitchen of her dreams plus anything else they wanted.  And give my brother & SIL and my sister a million every year, just because. 
• And I would get a housekeeper, preferably one with an accent like Dorota's on Gossip Girl.  Because that would just be fun!

I have a million others, but what would you do with half a billion dollars?  The pay out is $389 million, or a cool $20 million a year.  Dream big and tell me all about it in the comments!

It's Okay Thursdays

You know the drill.  If you have your own reassurances to make, you can leave them in the comments, or even better, link up by clicking the button above!

It's Okay...

...to freak out over the price of a tank of gas, but pay twice that at Sephora and not blink an eye.  (Well, maybe that's not okay, but it certainly could happen.  Not that it's ever happened to me...)

...to wish that your next clothing purchase was in a completely different size.

...to start your exercise regimen with a vengeance...tomorrow.

...to skip household chores in favor of a long dinner with an old friend.

...to dream about what you would (or wouldn't) do if you won the MegaMillions!  (First and last stop, the beach!)

...to do laundry on a "what am I going to wear this week?" basis.

...to talk a little too loudly, laugh a little too much, feel a little too deeply.

Wednesday Hodgepodge - 3/28

1. What's the last job you did that required elbow grease?

I feel a little shame in admitting this, but the last job I did that required elbow grease was cleaning out my old car before it sold.  I had put it off as long as possible, because I knew that it was going to be a terrible task.  If you know me, you know that my car has my life in it.  At any point and time, there's school stuff and a change of clothes and goodness only know what else in there.  Add to it that I had been out with my friends the night before and hadn't gotten in at anything close to a reasonable hour, and it just as rough as I imagined it might be.  Upside:  I found a Canon camera battery that I was pretty sure was lost and gone forever, so that's pretty much like making $50.  And the car is no longer sitting in my yard.  So, yay!


2. March Madness, aka the men's Division I basketball championship, is nearing an end. What sort of 'madness' has your house seen this month?

No more madness than normal.  But if you saw my house, you would probably be gravely concerned about my well-being.

3. What's your favorite shop for browsing?

I love just about any store with home decor goodies or antique/flea market shops.  I've also been known to spend hours just wandering around Target with no real goals, which always ends in me purchasing things I don't need but love anyway.


4. Is there ever a time when giving up makes sense?

Yes, but that doesn't mean that it's easy.  There comes a time in some situations or with some people when you know you have done everything you can do and it will either happen or it won't.  And that means walking away and letting it play out.


5. What's a song you love that contains the name of a city, state or country in its title?

I could play this game all day!  But the first one that came to mind was "Carolina In My Mind" by James Taylor. 


6. When did you first begin using a computer?

I remember using my cousin's Apple to play games in grade school. We were uptown with the giant floppy disks and the minimal graphics.  By the time I was in junior high or high school we had one of our own, and now I can't imagine not having one.  I mean, my phone is even practically a computer.  Funny how much things can change, for better or worse, in fifteen years!


7. Did you buy girl scout cookies this year? What's your favorite?

I didn't buy cookies this year, sadly!  But I will always be a Thin Mint girl.  Especially cold from the freezer!


8. Insert your own random thought here.

I am going to really miss not having a real Spring Break on the beach this year.  But getting out of school in the middle of May isn't so bad either!

What Am I Watching Right Now

It's been a while since I've done an entertainment post, and with the end of the regular TV season drawing nigh, it seems like a good time to talk about the shows I've been paying attention to, in order of their appearance in the week.  (And you know how I love my TV!) 

GCB:  Yes, I know the original title, based on the book that spawned the show, had some people up and at arms.  But I don't find it offensive.  In an interview on Anderson Cooper, star Kristin Chenoweth stated that she would never be involved with something that made fun of Christianity (she is a Christian herself) but that she has no problem having fun with Christianity.  (If you know anything about the South, you know that "Bless her heart" isn't really quite as nice as it seems, and covers a multitude of comments.)  The cast is incredible and the fun is wacky and it's totally become my new guilt pleasure! 

The Voice:  I can't decide if I love this show because it's good or because it give me something to gripe about.  I haven't been impressed with many of the picks up to the live shows, but I've invested enough time now that chances are I am going to stick around for at least another round.  I think it must sound different in the room than it does on TV at times, because that would be the only logical explanation for some of the judges' choices.  And three out of the four judges seem like perfectly reasonable people (looking at you, Christina...). 

Smash:  Another show I have very complicated feelings about.  It took me a while to warm up to it, which is odd because a show about behind-the-scenes Broadway should be right up my alley.  However, several shows in, I'm thrilled that it got renewed for a second season.  Each episode gets better and better!  (Seriously, any show that gets Bernadette Peters as a guest star...I'm in!)

Wednesday Night Comedies on ABC:  These shows have become another staple in my life.  The Middle, Suburgatory, Modern Family, and Happy Endings have become required viewing.  And it's not unheard of for Amber and I to text quotes back and forth all night long! 

Who Do You Think You Are?:    Sure it's a big commerical for Ancestry.com, but it's also pretty intriguing television.  Every time it ends, I find myself wanting to do a little more research about my own family tree!

And now for not-so-secret shame:  Was anyone else really excited that the new season of The Secret Life of the American Teenager premiered last night?  Just me then?  Okay, nevermind.

I will also admit to a love for Swamp People, Duck Dynasty, and Bayou Billionaires.  (But I don't have cable, so I only get to watch them at the parents'.)  What can I say?  If reality TV is to be believed, Louisiana is easily the most interesting state in the nation.

What have you been watching?  Any of the shows I've listed?  Or do you have your own guilty pleasures?

The Weekend

I had a pretty relaxed weekend.  Friday, I went to my parents' and hung with Lu, my little sis.  We didn't do much but just eat, sing and watch TV, but it was good.  I came home and worked on some pictures until it was entirely too late, which was unfortunate, because I had an early morning date with this guy...

That's right.  Some of the women I work with have formed a team for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk For the Cure in Chaicgo.  They have a lot of money to raise, and as part of their fundraising, they threw a Pancake Breakfast and Pictures With the Easter Bunny.  Guess who was taking the pictures...at 7:30 on Saturday morning?  But it was a good time for a good cause, so I was happy to do it! 

I didn't get to nap on Saturday, because someone was coming to visit!  I hadn't seen the Divine Miss M in a couple of weeks because she has been a little sickly.  But she's all better now and I couldn't get over how she had grown!  Seriously, look at that sweet face!

And Saturday evening, Lu and I went to a local theater production of Once Upon a Mattress.  This was special because I was in that show the last time they performed it in 2000.  Some of my former castmates came as well, and I got a chance to visit with them.  These are some of the same people I was in choir with, so a walk down memory lane is always interesting.

Sunday was very low key.  I got a migraine thanks to my allergies (thank you, early spring) and spent most of the day napping.  It was pretty blissful at the time, but last night I did not want to go to sleep!  And I was up bright and extra early this morning too.  Oh well, guess it's never too early to take on a new week!

How was your weekend?  Tell me all about it in the comments!  (I love hearing from you all!)

It's Okay Thursday

I haven't linked up in a couple weeks, but this sounded like fun today.  Plus, it's made the Ingrid Michaelson song, "Be Okay" start running through my head, which is pretty cheery for this gloomy, rainy morning!  Link up and join the fun!




It's Okay...

...to wear jeans because you just didn't have the patience for Spanx and a nice skirt.

...to not be sad about the end of 80 degree weather.  In March.

...to surrender a little bit of sleep for a little more fun.  (Oh, weekends.  You get me every time!)

...to trim your bangs yourself out of frustration.  (But only a little, Jen!  I promise!)

...to get more than a little excited over "real mail."

...to eat the Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich and a handful of Milk Duds!

...to pretend that you are having a wild shopping spree, when in reality, you've been saving your money for just that purpose! 

...to already be mentally packing for summer vacation.

What do you need to give yourself permission to "be okay" about today?  Make us all feel a little better and shout it out in the comments!  Or post your own!  Have a great day!

Wednesday Hodgepodge - 3/21

1. The first day of spring is here...do you enjoy working in the yard? Weeding, raking, mowing, planting-your favorite springtime garden chore? How about your least favorite?

I do not especially enjoy yard work.  I know some people love it, but between my allergies and the bugs and the fact that it already feels like summertime outside, I'm good with doing as little as I can get away with.  (Which is very little because my dad mows my lawn because he says my lawnmower is too dangerous for me to use.  And not in a sexist "That's man's work" way, but in a "this is so rigged up that it's even a little dangerous for me to use" sort of way.  And for that I say "Thanks, Daddy!")  My least favorite activity is making the ivy behave because it grows very quickly and gets into everything, and is a neverending task.

2. What puts a spring in your step?

Kind gestures.  Nights out with good friends.  Laughing at something my really funny students say.  A good night's sleep.  Hearing my "favorite song" on my iPod (which is what I call all of the songs I even remotely like).  A couple days off.  Cuddling my niece.  Taking a really good picture completely by accident.  I could go on and on...
 

3. Describe a time when you had to spring into action?

My very first year of teaching (nine years ago), I walked out of my classroom and into a fight between two large boys.  They accidentally punched me (in the arm) in the process and one split his chin open on a doorfacing.  Despite my dislike of blood, the old adrenaline kicked in and  I got him to the office and to help without passing out.  Which may not seem like an accomplishment, but it totally was. 

4. We're having carrots for dinner...would you prefer yours raw or cooked?

I love carrots either way.  But if I am in charge, they are probably raw because I'm not cooking anything I don't have to.

5. Do you take the shampoos and other sundries from your hotel room when its time to check out?

Of course!  I mean, you pay for the room, and they are there for your use so why wouldn't you?  Especially if it's a nice hotel with really good stuff!

6. What's the most enjoyable team or club you've belonged to and what was it that made it so?

If you know me, you know it wasn't an athletic club!  I would have to say that it was my college choir.  We had the best time and got to see and do some really amazing things.  Being 18 year old and getting a standing ovation from 1200 people is pretty amazing!  And though many of those people aren't ones that I talk to every day, they are people who will always have a very special place in my heart.

7. Is cloning a sign of progress?

This is a tricky question.  In some ways, it might be.  Cloning some cells might mean creating organs for transplant instead of waiting on a donor or something significant like that.  (You can tell my depth of knowledge on the topic, right?)  But it's a slippery slope.  There would have to be very strictly followed guidelines to prevent things like cloning whole people.  I would need to actually do some reasearch on the topic to have more of an opinion.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Spring has certainly sprung around here!  And with it the "spring fever" that normally doesn't crop up until around mid-April.  I fear it's going to be a long last quarter!

Tuesday Brain Dump

Got a lot of things runnign around in my brain.  None of them are really related.  So you get a list.  My apologies...

• Today, I lost a pair of shoes.  I have no clue where they are, and I just wore them this weekend.  And, of course, they were the shoes I was planning to wear today.  I realize that this is a minor problem, but it put a hitch in my giddyap first things this morning. 
• It's the first day of spring and 84 degrees.  Seriously?  I don't live in the deep South, or in the Southwest.  This weather is just nuts!  Upside, it's not raining cats and dogs like it is in other places.
• I've been trying not to complain as much.  Pretty obvious how that's working out, right?  Ha!
• I really didn't talk about my weekend yesterday, but it was a really good one!  I spent Friday with my sister, shopping at a couple of local boutiques, where she got the cutest dress!  And Friday night, I went out with my girls (and a few of the guys) to hear our favorite local band at our favorite local pub.  And it was worth every second of dragging around on Saturday!
• The van that I was driving and hit at deer with has been sold and will soon be out of my yard!  Score!!That made me so happy, because nothing says redneck like a non-running vehicle sitting in the ankle high grass in your yard.  (The grass will also be cut this week, thank goodness!)
• Thanks to those of you who said a quick prayer for my evaluation last week!  It went very well and I received a good report from my boss.  Always ways to improve what I am doing, though, and I am anxious to spend my summer doing just that!  I'm a nerd that way.
• Lunchtime update:  Last night, one of my seniors' parents brought me the most beautiful bouquet of flowers from her garden to thank me for being the senior sponsor.  I left them in my classroom as decoration and they smell so wonderful!  She has the most beautiful garden and I've been lucky enough to photograph it before.  Her sweet gesture made my night!

What's on your mind today?  I'd love to hear from you in the comments!

He Still Loves Me

Every morning, just after moaning and groaning about the alarm clock, I try to take just a few minutes and pray.  Nothing fancy, sometimes it's barely coherent, but I pray that God will help me be the kind of person He wants me to be.  Sometimes I fail miserably at this, most days maybe even, but I don't think the asking hurts.

Lately, I've been feeling adrift, much of which seems to be of my own doing.  I'm not in dangerous territory, nothing like two or three years ago, but I just feel a general disatisfaction with things.  I love my job, but I could work harder at it.  I claim Jesus Christ as my Savior, but can't seem to find a place that fits to serve.  I'm just a little restless in my skin, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.  I think that every once in a while, we need to evaluate where we are and try to figure out if it's where we are supposed to be.  Maybe I need to shake things up a bit.  Maybe this is just the effects of a spring that feels a lot like summer.  (Perhaps my brain has already packed up and headed to the beach...)

What I know, and it isn't much in the scheme of things, is that God knows what He is doing and He sees what I am doing.  And I don't mean that in a "He's watching to see if you are naughty or nice" way.  I mean that He sees me for who I am.  He knows my intentions, whether pure or not so much.  And He loves me just the same.  And today, for that simple fact, I am truly thankful.

Happy Birthday, Tara!

T,

By now, you should know that I'm crap at sending things in the mail.  But sending love and good wishes over the internet?  That I can do!  It seems like we have known each other forever (though it hasn't really been that long, considering), and it is the one thing I will remain forever thankful to Timmy for.

We didn't become fast friends right away, but after many a night sitting out on the patio trading stories, I knew that you were a "broad" in the truest sense of the word.  (And you know that is the highest of compliments from me!)  But it wasn't until you offered your place in Charleston that a real bond began...

 (We bonded with Spencer, the best fur baby ever, too.  Even if he scared us a little with his energy that first day!)

 I don't think we could have ever imagined all the things that we have been through.  It's been a long and crazy ride, but you have come out of it with all the grace and style I gave you credit for all those years ago.  You may not have known your own strength, but we did, and we weren't disappointed!

And even better, you gave our little club the first sweet baby (and only, as long as Reagan refuses to come out and play)!  You made that whole labor and delivery look like a piece of cake, not that any of us should have been surprised.  And getting a chance to celebrate with you as you journeyed into motherhood was absolutely priceless!

Though your being on the East Coast means that we won't get to raise a glass with you on your big day, know that glasses (or bottles) will certainly be raised tonight!  To all the winery days belting songs in the car, the laughs and the tears, and to a lifetime more of friendship.  And it's less that 12 weeks before The Chicks Take VA!  Happy Birthday, my dear friend! 

So much love,

Kate

Wednesday Hodgepodge - 3/14

1. St. Patrick's Day will be celebrated this coming Saturday. What's a favorite article of clothing you own that contains a touch o' the green?

I have a green cardigan with shiny buttons that I just love!  Although with it being in the 80s this week. my days of wearing it are probably over!

2. What's a favorite 'green space' in the town, state, or province where you live?

I live in a small town, so there's a lot of green space.  I like to walk in the park near my house, but my favorite green space of all time would have to be my parents' big ole lawn! 

3. Do you wish you were taller, shorter, or think you're just about right in the height department?

Taller.  Then I would have a little more frame to spread out in!  I wouldn't want to be super tall, even three or four more inches would be fine!

4. What's the surest way for someone to pick a fight with you?

 For someone to say that I am wrong when I know I am right.  I am relentless when I have a point to prove, which is not always a good thing.

5. Broccoli-Spinach-String Beans-Peas...of the four, your favorite green veg? (Or the one you dislike the least if that first option's too hard. I just know there's some veggie haters out there.)

I love peas, but only if they are fresh or frozen.  None of that canned junk!!

6. March is National Women's History Month...besides friends, neighbors and the women you're related to, who's a woman in history you admire and why?

There are so many!  I love Eleanor Roosevelt, Amelia Earhart, Marian Anderson, Harriet Tubman, Nellie Bly, Alice Paul, Susan B. Anthony and so many others were such fascinating studies of strength and courage in the face of great odds.  Because of the slant, particularly in early American history, we miss so much of what these women thought and felt.  Oh to hear their stories!!

7. Keep Calm and ____________on.

You fill in the blank.

Have a Cupcake!  Because who doesn't feel calmer with a cupcake on their plate?

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I have a day off on Friday and never have I needed a day off so badly!  Between the time change (anybody else wishing they would just pick one and stick with it?) and the long work hours this week, I am just out of it! 

Because My Niece Isn't The Only Sweet Face I Know...

**Completely unrelated to the topic at hand, if you think of it tomorrow (well, Tuesday, but I am posting this on Monday night), shoot up a prayer for me.  I have a big evaluation at work in the morning and I am really nervous about it!  Thanks in advance.  You're awesome!**

Sunday, I had a little fun with my Auntie's family.  Nothing I like more than a couple hours of playing photographer.  Don't expect me to be hanging a shingle anytime soon, though!  Nothing grates my nerves than how anyone with some editing software and a camera thinks they are a professional.  That is not me!  I know too many people with real talent for all of that.  But I couldn't help but share a few sneak peeks!

I can't tell you how anxious I am to do work on the rest of these later this week!  There are so many others since we shot for almost two hours straight!

Springing Forward

Okay, it's a little more like limping forward today, as the time change has me ten kinds of messed up! It doesn't really help that it's cloudy and gross today too.  And that I am terribly jealous of all my friends who have been on Spring Break this week and last because we don't get one this year!  If I see one more picture of Florida I'm going to scream!  Oh well, summer will be here soon enough (something like 44 school days, not that I'm counting)!

I'm actually pretty proud of myself.  I spent most of the weekend behaving like an adult, doing all of things I needed to do, like filing my taxes and working on a tremendous school work that seemed to be piling up on me in every direction, mostly of my own doing because I have crazy thoughts like completely changing the way I teach a topic a week before I'm supposed to teach it.  I didn't allow myself to be truly and completely distracted much at all, and am within a couple of hours of work tonight of having everything finished!  (Which is kind of huge!)  Most of the real work went down on Saturday, because yesterday I went over to play photographer for my Auntie's family.  It was so much fun!  I can't wait to share the finished product with you later this week!  (Assuming all goes as planned!)

Otherwise, this is going to be a fairly busy week, as I will be working 12-hour days at least three of the four that I work.  (I'm off on Friday, thank goodness!)  And I have great plans for the weekend, too! 

What did you do over the weekend?  Anything exciting?  Or was it filled up with the "grown up" things like mine was?  Let me hear about it in the comments!

Frazzled Friday

I'm not really that frazzled but I love alliteration!  It's Friday, and you know what that means---time for a brain dump list of all the things I have thought this week.

• God apparently misunderstood my prayers for straight hair.  Instead, I have sticks-straight-out hair.  Not really the same thing.  And kind of a hassle when you are trying to hurry up and get to work for morning duty.
• I finished Sisterhood Everlasting.  And it was so.very.good.  It touched on so many different things and I don't think I have digested all of it yet.  It ended up really getting under my skin, maybe just because I am around the same age as the characters and I get what they are talking about.  I don't know.  But I highly recommend this book.
• I have so much to do this weekend, much of it curriculum stuff and grading stuff.  It's hard to believe Monday marks the beginning of our fourth quarter.  We're in the homestretch, but I am working on some PowerPoints and things that I can use from here on out.  It's a lot of work upfront, but I am hoping it will be worth it in the end! 
• I realized that with the exception of a couple bargain buy cardigans (less than $12 for both), I haven't bought myself new clothes in a couple of months.  I really am trying to save money, plus am not particularly pleased with my current size, so it hasn't been that hard.  But I am looking forward to picking up a few things for spring!
• And don't even get me started on sandals!  It's already been so warm here that my feet are just dying to not be in socks anymore.  I'm a barefoot kind of girl anyway, but mostly right now I am a girl in need of a pedicure!  Maybe I will treat myself to one soon-ish!  (Speaking of, I might also want to look into shaving my legs.  They have been a little, um...neglected the past few months weeks.)
• I am so glad it's the weekend!  And not to wish my life away, but I am really looking forward to next week and weekend, where I will get a day off and a night out with my friends!

Wishing you all a great weekend!  Got any big plans?  I love to hear what everyone's up to!

For The Love Of Books

I have always loved books.  I was a reader from the start, the only one of my siblings to inherit my parents' love for the written word.  I have more bookshelves in my house than any other kind of furniture, proudly displaying a collection of most memoirs and "chick lit."  Some may turn up their noses, but I love them all. 

It's been a long time since I have been completely absorbed by a book, though.  I mean, I love Stephanie Plum just as much as the next girl, but I can pick up and put down those books week after week and never really feel like I am missing anything.  Last night, however, I found a book that has completely captivated me, Sisterhood Everlasting by Anne Brashares.  Now, the original Sisterhood series was supposed to be for young adults, but it hit me at a time when I was living a very similar life to Carmen, Tibby, Bridget and Lena.  I devoured every word, watched the movies (thrilled by the cast, bummed by the mish-mash of the narratives), and safely tucked them away on the shelf.  I didn't even know that another book existed, which is odd because I tend to know these things.  However, my beloved Target didn't let my lack of knowledge impede my love for these girls and Brashares, thank goodness! 

I read 70 pages before I could bear to even put it down last night.  And I'm well beyond that now.  While Brashares has stayed true to the characters, I am amazed with how different the tone of this book is.   They are no longer the girls from the first four books, but are women turning 30 and trying to figure out how to become functional adults.  Wonder why that would reasonate around here? 

I have more I want to share, but I am trying to collect all of those thoughts.  I'm sure they will come, and when they do, I will share.  Until then, I will be reading. 

What are your favorite books?

Wednesday Hodgepodge - 3/7

1. Did March come in like a lion or was it something less ferocious in your neck of the woods?

March came in like a big, old mangy lion.  Friday, I got to spend an hour or so in tornado cover with my students even.  We are supposed to get rain starting tonight, but thankfully, no severe storms. 

2. Speaking of lions, which one's your film favorite...The Cowardly Lion (Wizard of Oz), Mufasa (The Lion King), Elsa (Born Free), or Alex (Madagascar)? You may notice I left Aslan off the list. Including him would have made this question way too easy for many of you.

I will have to go with Mufasa, just because I can't say his name without thinking of the hyenas saying it over and over again and giggling.  That's kind of what it does to me, too!  (Plus, who doesn't love The Lion King!)

3. What's your favorite spot from which to view the sunrise or sunset?

The beach.  Any beach.  And I prefer to watch both if at all possible.  The colors and the peacefulness of that time is unlike anything else.

4. To what extent is knowledge power and to what extent is truth power? What's the difference?

I think that knowledge, as in being informed on a topic, is powerful.  But I think that we have to make sure we examine our sources.  Unless you have the truth, you don't really have knowledge, however.  You can read every study or hear every speech, but unless you know what they are saying is the truth, it's all kind of useless.   (Does that make sense?)

5. What's something peculiar you've seen recently?

Every time Amber and I have visited the local Target, we have seen something weird.  One night, it was a guy in a Christmas tree hat, a moo-moo, shorts and sandals. Another, a man in a full length faux-fur coat.  I know that People of WalMart is a thing, but our People of Target has become almost as strange.

6. Bottled water...your thoughts?

I think that it is sometimes a very useful thing (particularly when traveling or in case of emergency), but that you should try to use filtered water from a pitcher if at all necessary.  I try to only use bottled water when I have to, because I know that the bottles create a tremendous amount of waste and I drink at least 64 oz. a day.

7. What's your strongest sense?

Well, considering that I have worn glasses since second grade, it's not sight.  I really had to think about this one because it was a toss-up between hearing and smell.  I think, in the end, it would have to be hearing because I depend on it so much when I am singing.  I'm not exceptional at reading music (I can do it, but it's hard), but I know when something doesn't sound "right." 

8. Insert your own random thought here.

It's entirely possible that I drove to WalMart last night with a list of things I didn't really have to have immediately, just so that I could pick up the new Footloose on DVD.  While it will never take the place of the original, I really did love that movie.  And it was on sale!

Well, Hello There!

For starters, I did not avoid whatever is going around.  It started on Sunday night and lasted into the wee hours of Monday morning.  Thankfully I didn't end up with the worst of it, just enough so that after morning duty and a round of state tests, I went home and slept.  I am feeling about 93% today, which is a vast improvement!  Always thankful it wasn't worse!  Being infected by the disease sponges I lovingly call students is just part of it!  This week I am on Spring Break from my other job, so that's a plus.  Knowing I can just go home and crash as the end of the day if necessary cannot be overvalued.  It also means that I will have a chance for a midweek dinner with Amber.  We haven't seen each in close to two weeks and that almost never happens!  I feel a little sorry for the people who have to deal with us, because we will be obnoxious (in the best possible way)!

Other than that, things are just pretty normal around here, which is also sort of boring.  This is the calm before the storm as far as most things are concerned, because if you know anything about education, you know how busy things get just before school lets out.  It's hard to believe that another school year has almost come and gone, but it has.  Crazy!  It's hard to believe how fast a year comes and goes, and it seems to just get faster the older I get!  I'm amazed that next year will mark my 10th year of teaching.  It seems like it's been a minute and a lifetime.  I am loving that I will be able to mix things up a little next year too!  There are so many things I want to do and I plan to spend a lot of time this summer revamping my lessons for the classes I will continue to teach and creating plans for my new ones. 

I've already discovered that the best thing about my music appreciation class is that it will give me the perfect excuse to buy old musicals on DVD off my Amazon wish list!  I am a teensy bit obsessed with the TCM packs that have four movies on them for the price of one.  I already have three of the sets, and I have plans to acquire more of them.  I love any kind of movie, but there is something especially fun about the classics!

What's your favorite "old" movie?  Let me hear them in the comments!

Stormy Weather

Today we are expected to get more strong storms.  This isn't great news, since most people aren't done cleaning up from the devastation of the last round on Wednesday.  By now, most of you have probably heard of Harrisburg in the news, as there have been many national news outlets reporting from there.  Six people lost their lives, more than 200 lost homes, and 25 businesses were destroyed.  It's been a rough week for many.  And it's made the rest of us count our blessing a little more than usual.

As if that isn't enough, the stomach flu has come to roost at work.  I have had at least two or three kids out each day with it and it's been nasty.  I'm hoping the weekend will kill the germs!  Especially because we start the special hell that is state testing next week.  Remind me to tell you exactly how I feel about standardized tests sometime...)

Other than that not-so-nice stuff, it is Friday!  If that's not something to get excited about I don't know what is.  You need more?  Here's a list:

• Summer vacation is just 11 weeks away! 
• We are kicking off that vacation with the 5th Annual Girls On The Road Trip: Chicks Take VA Edition!
• I am halfway through the extra class I am teaching and next week is Spring Break, so I get the whole week off.  (Of course, I am filling that in with some concession stand working, but it could totally be worse!)
• I have a day off two weeks from now, and my favorite band is playing that night!  Is that serendipity or what?
• It's almost sandal season!  (Which means it's time to put aside a little pedicure money!)
• It's almost track season!  Despite not looking the part, I love coaching track.  It's one of my favorite things I do during the school year.

What do you have to get excited about?  Have a great weekend!