Magnolias & Juleps

I love 3 day weekends

2011-09-05T07:55:00.000-07:00

Unemployment + phone call/interview/job offer in 1 day + 2 days off in 15 days = LOVING MY 3 DAY WEEKEND.

Weight: lost 2 lbs.. this is after gaining 3 the first week I joined the gym, so not sure how that all works out but I have lost 2 lbs from my original starting weight. No noticeable difference except the wonderful fact that I miss the gym when I don't go and I definitely feel better about myself. So I'm loving it

Nails: grown out! Once I get payed (which wont be until the 15th, damn you Wake County) I'm treating myself to a fabulous mani/pedi. I can't wait!

Visiting parents: never happened. But I'm planning on going up to HSC the weekend of the 17th for the first home game to see the lil bro and the parents. Trying to make more family time

Painting: all accomplished! I have a fun project for the dining nook though which I will be taking pictures of as I do them. I'd like to thank the flea market and KR for the motivation and inspiration.

Closets......... well, whatever. Not like anyone but me sees them anyway

12 days left

2011-08-13T13:11:00.001-07:00

I'm not weighing myself until the 25th now. I joined a gym on Wednesday (both TWF and KR go there) and I am loving every minute of it! Fingers crossed that helps. I have been everyday since Wednesday. It's amazing how addicted I already feel!

Closets: still pretty good, downstairs needs some more help.

Kitchen done, bathroom still needs some trim finishing touches.

I bought this nail strengthening/growing polish and I've been slightly better at not biting or picking at them. I think one day this week I'm taking Southern Sunshine's advice and getting the shellac manicure. Supposedly it works better when nails are short! Woop woop!

As far as going to visit the fam, well, that one isn't going to happen. Let me explain why! I GOT A JOB!!!! The secretary called me around noon, for an interview at 3pm on Thursday afternoon. At 5pm I walked out of Bugg Elementary with a job and a tshirt!! I went in yesterday morning for a breakfast with the principal. He also opened up the building today and helped me set up my room! Last year my classroom was used as the in-school-suspension room (awesome). So nothing was in it that needed to be there and a million things are in it that don't need to be there. I'm so excited and I'll still be teaching 1st grade!!! Hollllerrrrr!! So unfortunately meetings, staff development, etc start Monday morning so I all of a sudden don't have time! The mother is NOT pleased.

11 days in

2011-07-31T12:27:00.001-07:00

- NO progress on the growing out nails situation. I think the stress of trying to date someone new, being unemployed (still), and generally just being in a rut, this one is going to take some extra effort

-Weight: 1 lb lost!? Might just be that I haven't eaten much today.. hmmm, damn

-Closets: WELL, I've looked long and hard at the closet downstairs. The closets in my room (I have 2) are coming along great! The smaller closet is very organized right now with shoes, jackets hanging, sweatshirts, sweatpants, fleeces, etc on the shelf, bathing suits in basket, and socks and scarfs, pashminas, etc all in hanging shelves. The big closet is all organized, well, atleast everything that is in it so far. Even down to the fact that dresses are organized by sleeve length and/or designer; Maggy London, Lilly P, etc. Honestly, it has never been this organized and it fully makes me realize just how much clothing I unnecessarily have. Which is why I also have a very large bag full of clothes I'm getting rid of. I did a 'Spring Cleaning' a few months ago but I am straight up purging now. I've given up hope on so many of my clothes that "I'll fit into again one day" and I'm just getting rid of them. So I'm looking at you Junior League of Raleigh ladies, if you want some stuff for the Bargain Box, I won't be hanging onto it long.

- I was planning on going up today to see the fam for a few days, but then I got a babysitting job for Tuesday morning, and I'm watching the B family again from Thursday to Sunday. Maybe the following week. I'm worried it keeps getting put off that I won't get to it, but even if it's just a weekend, I'm going.

- Downstairs bathroom is painted. I need to go back in and touch up the trim but I love it. AND the kitchen is painted! I've painted the backsplash and realized I hated that the cabinets weren't actually white.... so... now they are!! Still a work in progress. When both are finalized, pictures will be shared.

200th!

2011-07-20T12:44:00.001-07:00

So you would think for as long as I've had this blog, that I would've reached 200 posts before now. Unfortunately, I am a roller coaster blogger; I come, I go, I'm active, I'm MIA. It happens.

I like to make lists. The process of crossing things off of a To-Do list may be one of my all time favorite activities. It really solidifies that somethings is complete. So I thought, in a very public (for all 3 people that might still read this) way, I will make a to-do list, then come back here and cross it off. I'll add a new page and put the list on there so I can easily access it and edit it but I will write it here. This to-do list is all under the assumption that I will have a job and the 1st day of school is August 25th. So I am giving myself 35 days to complete this list or...... well, I suck.

1) Grow out nails... I really need to stop biting them... again
2) Lose 8 lbs.... I mean seriously, I have a treadmill in my room and a pool 10 yards from my front door, no freaking excuses here
3) Visit the parents in VA
4) Organize closets.. all of them.. yes, even the one underneath the stairs
5) Paint bathroom... I think... or kitchen... haven't decided yet.. perhaps both

Now, that is 5 weeks, 5 things to do. Shouldn't be too bad. We shall see how this goes.

Listen...

2011-06-26T08:32:00.000-07:00

Listen to the Mustnt's child, listen to the Don'ts.
Listen to the Shouldn'ts, the Impossibles, the Won'ts.
Listen to the Never Haves, then listen close to me.
Anything can happen, child, Anything can be.

-Shel Silverstein

Recap

2011-04-26T13:12:00.000-07:00

Lots of catching up to do, not in order, but enjoy the pics...

My birthday we went to Lonerider Brewery... YUMMM!!! Two very enthusiastic thumbs up. We plan on going back!

This past weekend I drove up to Winchester, Va for the wedding of a wonderful couple. TWF's sister (essentially a sister of my own), got married at Bluemont Winery. With threats of thunderstorms all day, the sun was shining and the sky was blue. It could not have been a better event. I had tremendous fun.

The kids (see the yellow dress in action!)

Reconnecting with an old friend (on left AH)! and making a new fun one (AH's brother, we'll call him Munchkin ;)

*****

Back in February, TWF, Neighbor, and I went down to visit Kuz (TWF's cousin and fabulous friend of mine). It was an amazing weekend, one I desperately needed and see some of the fun we had!

Me and TWF at the Fat Pelican!! Have you ever been?! It's down in Carolina Beach and YOU MUST!!

Don't you LOVE going out of town and making new friends from back home!! Now the fun is if we ever run into each other back here in Raleigh....

Because I said so......

2011-04-12T12:46:00.000-07:00

Today, I will be drinking wine with dinner.

Sometimes I wonder why when I go home I get so cranky when my roommate has his shoes on my cream sofa, when my neighbor's puppy won't stop barking, when I can't find the show I want to watch, when my DVD skips, and so on and so on. But let's think about what I do ALL day, EVERY day.... I tell things what to do, and they get punished when they do not follow my directions. So when my roommate can't even remember to take his shoes off, I get cranky. When the dog continues to bark even when I will it to stop, I get cranky. Things are supposed to do what I say BECAUSE I SAID SO. I don't have a boyfriend, husband, child, puppy of my own to boss around (hehe), I come home to nothing (sounds far more drastic than I mean it to be). So I truly think I'm allowed a little extra wiggle room in the b*tch department.

If everyday you were in charge of 20 little things running around, and a grown-ass woman (my teacher assistant whom I love and could not live without), it's a little hard to shift roles and NOT be 'in charge' on the home front..... or am I way off base here?

What shoes? and do we like?

2011-04-07T13:12:00.000-07:00

3:30pm wedding, Saturday of Easter Weekend.....

You know you're a teacher when......

2011-04-01T10:32:00.001-07:00

You Know You Teach First Grade When...

- Your once neatest handwriters are suddenly writing their names illegibly. Because they're attempting to write in cursive with no formal instruction.

- You've been through no less than 762 glue sticks.

- You've considered changing your name for the day just so you don't have to respond to Ms._______ seventy-eight times in an hour.

- You're fairly certain that a select few students will never recognize the written difference between a "b" and a "d" no matter how many times you correct them.

- You get just as excited as the kids do when the Scholastic book order comes in.

- You welcome inventive spelling if only to have something entertaining to read.

- You wish you got a dollar every time you told your class to "be a level zero in the hallway" or to "get on the line" when walking down the hall.

- You have at least one Dr. Jean album on your iPod.

- Calendar Time exhausts you. I don't know why, but I just hate it.

- You love your students' goofy smiles due to their jack-o-lantern-like assortment of *missing* teeth.

- On that same note, you are driven *12 kinds of crazy* when students repeatedly get up from whole group time to get a tissue to wiggle a loose tooth.

- Your heart goes pitter patter when hear your firsties read, smiling at the fact that you are the one responsible for that.

Your turn! I'd love for you to link up and tell me what things make your grade level special!

Adult decisions

2011-03-18T05:39:00.000-07:00

I've heard oh so many people say that they don't feel their age. I babysit for couples in their 40's and they say they feel like they were my age just yesterday. My parents have said over and over "where has the time gone?". I may be 28 (gasp, I'm old) but I share their sentiments. I am attending my 10 year highschool reunion this summer. I am in the career I always wanted. I am ever so slowly getting my act together..... and then there are nights like last night where I act and feel like none of it matters. Yes, I am currently scarfing down a Bojangles chicken filet biscuit combo with a LARGE sweet tea in hopes that it will cure what ails me. I may be running on about 4 hours of sleep. No, the children are not allowed to turn the lights on and yes, we are using our whisper voices this morning. With the temperature reaching 80 today, I predict an extended recess time. If I could ever figure out how our tv/dvd/vcr situation works we would totally be watching a video. Am I looking forward to getting home this afternoon and curling up on the sofa, yes. Did I act my age, no. Was celebrating St. Patrick's day worth it..... YES.

Top o' the mornin to ya!

Home is where the heart is.....

2011-02-22T17:05:00.000-08:00

or at least school is!

I am back at my old school, WES, where I taught for 4+ years until the end of this past October. No, not permanently, just for a few days while I'm tracked out. I'll be there tomorrow and Thursday and next week, Mon-Thurs. I am subbing for the AG teacher. I am having so much fun seeing my former students, running into parents, and hanging out with my teacher friends. It's amazing how comfortable I feel there. I know I have only been at EGE for 3+ months, but I miss WES so much. I walk down the halls, students know me, teachers know me, the security guard knows me, the janitors know me, everyone knows me! I know this comes with time, but I've officially realized I want back... and I don't know how to get there. I walk the halls like I actually know what the hell I'm doing instead of feeling like everything I do is a waste of time, useless, or falling on deaf ears..

ON A HAPPIER NOTE: I LOVE GLEE!!!!!!!!!!!

and for a few of my girls, I've gotten in a really bad habit of some major recycling.. again.. if you know what I mean... help.

taking advice from wherever I can......

2011-02-21T06:28:00.000-08:00

“Who are you to judge the life I live? I know I'm not perfect and I don't live to be. But, before you start pointing fingers, make sure your hands are clean.”
-Bob Marley

Phew.... made it

2011-02-14T13:26:00.000-08:00

Today is the first day of my track-out. Though I had threatened my roommate, who had contemplated taking the day off too, all was well. I slept in (aka: stayed in bed until 930). Woke up to a sweet Valentine from roommate, completely unexpected. Went to WES to drop off the Valentines this same roommate forgot at home for his class. Grabbed some groceries, made small talk with a cute guy over pimento cheese, made some lunch, watched Secretariat, and just finished making plans to go to the most NON-romantic place I could think of; The PR (aka: The Players Retreat). A few girls and I will be going for dinner on this Single's Awareness Day.

Couldn't think of a better way to wrap up the first day of vacation after a fabulous bday weekend (which I'll write about later)...

Thanks to everyone for their kinds words and encouragement over the past couple of weeks. Things have been rough, and what your thoughts, words, and prayers have shown me, is that I can do this, I will get through, and it can only get better from here.... I can't thank you enough for that..

All I want for my birthday is......

2011-02-03T17:09:00.000-08:00

Does anyone else feel weird actually asking for stuff for your birthday? I just really don't do it. There are always things I would love to have, but when are you too old to ask? Maybe it's just me.

I found these clutches on another blog: www.etsy.com/shop/ao3designs

How stinking cute!!

I've had 3 pairs of these in my life... my last pair got stolen last year, not even a month after I bought them :(
www.ray-ban.com/usa/sunglasses/rb3044/l0207

BEST SHOES EVER.. and I think orange is a severley underrated color: http://store.ryka.com/product140.html

I really want something like this for the end of my bed! http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Monterey-Cubby-Bench/1459036/product.html

Or let's be real... I'd love to just go shopping ;)

For the love....

2011-01-30T11:17:00.000-08:00

I snapped at school. A little piece in me broke and I went to my Assistant Principal and said "he goes, or I go". Now you may ask did I really mean that I was going to quit? No, I certainly did not. I think I really only meant for the afternoon, but she took me very seriously and said she'd much rather see me be able to do my job and if the only way I could see me doing my job was to have my special friend out of the room, then so be it. We'll call him CC. This child is above and beyond anything I can handle on my own. I did not let myself admit, let alone think, this for the first 2.5 months I have been at EGES. But like I said, something snapped. Perhaps it was the bruises I now I have on my arms and legs from when I had to use my body to hold the double doors closed so he could not get out as he was banging his head, hands, and feet against me/the door. Perhaps it was my other special friend, let's just go ahead and call him Baby, when he fell to the floor in the cafeteria because another student got a fork before him in line. His tears and snot and screams after the morning I had literally pushed me over the edge. I was just standing there staring at him, trying to find the energy, will power, desire, motivation, whatever the word is, to do something. I couldn't. An assistant I have come to rely on when it comes to Baby and CC for her very stern manner, walked into the cafeteria, heard/saw the mess Baby was making, looked at me and said "Ms. T, go to your room...I've got this". I just turned around, and walked straight into my Assistant Principal's office.

This all happened about a week and a half ago. In that time, I have gotten the flu, had half my class fall ill, had my assistant out for 2 days, a flat tire, lost my drivers license, NOT been called by the boy, lectured (as a staff) by our principal, had 4 parent-teacher conferences, and all around been miserable. I have tried to shake it, but sometimes, you just can't.

I have been sitting here all day essentially, on one of the most beautiful days Raleigh has seen in awhile, trying to get myself ready and excited for this week at school. I don't have it in me. I don't care. I could not show up at school tomorrow and only because of the backlash it would create from my team/administration/parents, I could not care less. In my past 4 years of teaching, I would take a day off for whatever reason, and would miss my kids. I would miss my team, I would simply miss my school and want to be back to see all that I missed. I don't have that anymore. I didn't think of it this way at first, but I have a new student and I feel like I have to do everything in my power to protect him from this class, this school. He has come in just after mid-year and has no idea what he is getting into with my class. If I can prevent one person from feeling the angst and pain that this place gives me, then perhaps I'm doing some good after all.

How can a school be so broken that it makes everyone miserable?????

How do I get out?

they're free.. why not

2011-01-11T13:20:00.000-08:00

The fabulous Miss JB and I are off to the canes game tonight. I won two free tickets from my school and so why not! There were 6 sets of 2 tickets each. When I talked to some of the other teachers that won, they are all bringing their husbands or boyfriends. When it was my turn to ask who I was bringing, I simply said "J..... and I think we're drinking beforehand so you'll have to forgive us.... we're both single and well, it's gonna be a girls' night out.... ya know?". Which was followed by silence. I think they're rather jealous.

So if you're able to watch the game on tv tonight, don't bother looking for us. We are in the top section last row..... I'm pumped.

"Don't judge a book by it's cover"

2011-01-09T08:34:00.000-08:00

A fellow Ms. T (http://livinlavidacam.blogspot.com) told me this past weekend to well 1) update my blog and 2) to not judge a book by it's cover. Throughout the weekend I found myself having to remind myself of this many times for many different reasons. So here I am, updating my blog.....

With my birthday coming up in a month I've been doing a lot of thinking about the future and all that jazz. Pam, a fun friend we met last night at the bar, who, at the age of 45, grabbed my hand and told me to "let it all go, don't plan and get the hell out there and do the damn thing".

I have found myself in the company of a few people lately, that are nothing like what they appear to be. Last night, this was made ever so clear. Just because you think or other people think they know someone, how do you ever truly know what they are like. I fell (just a little) for a guy that was sweet, smart, good looking, and a straight up nice guy. I wasn't planning on it, it just happened. And then last night, he showed me what he was really after. In the past, I would try and fix this situation, thinking if I just give it some more time, maybe he'll come around; I mean, I'm having fun right? HELL NO. I am who I am, and I know what I want. If you aren't OK with that, then we're done. I would rather be alone then be with someone who doesn't want more than a bed buddy(duh, right?). This was a friend of a friend. I've known him for a little while. Supposed to be safe. I guess what I'm saying is you never know what you're gonna get. So I'm done picking out books based on the cover. It may look like a great book, but there is no guarantee that you're going to actually like it. No more just picking up romantic comedies, we're going to branch out and see what is out there. I'm not good at putting myself out there but sometimes you just have to get out of your own way. You never know because one minute a boy could be making you feel utterly cheap and easy, and then the next minute you could meet a boy from South Carolina who tells you that you have a beautiful smile and should use it more often ;)

Here's to not judging a book by it's cover and to lots and lots of reading in the future.

My next week in pictures...

2010-11-20T09:59:00.000-08:00

Today:

Sunday:

Monday:

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Irvington, VA

Thursday:

Friday:

Not one to miss out on a good opportunity....

2010-11-15T19:40:00.000-08:00

I am totally stealing this from BitP and a few other blogger friends, I am aiming to get some free Holiday cards from Shutterfly.com. YOU CAN TOO! Share on Twitter, Facebook, and in a post: Bloggers get 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly… sign up: http://bit.ly/sfly2010!!!

As I mentioned in my previous post, I am planning on moving by the end of the month and with a new roommate. I'll save the details of the new roommate but I was thinking what a fun way to start off living together by having Christmas cards together. We actually just took a very fabulous picture together this past Friday and we're all gussied up and it would be perfect. So I was thinking I would get one of the following for our Holiday/We just moved card!! 50 free cards would be a great starting place!

This one would be perfect with the colors in the picture we took. I love simple cards. Also, thanks to my sister, I've tended to veer towards non-Merry Christmas cards and gone to more of the over all "Happy Holiday" sentiment. {so, for those non-Christmas cards, check out some Hanukkah cards, too, at http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/hanukkah-cards}

Now the one above I like because it's simple but what a cute saying!! I'm going to use that all the time now! I love picture cards SO much more than plain cards and though more expensive, I do appreciate when cards are folded like the above one because then I can set them on the mantle or hang them along a string on display. And what a stinkin' cute baby! {http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery}

This one just might be my overall favorite card; but I'll be honest, it might just be because I want this little boy to be my future child. Blonde, shaggy, wearing a polo, got a little smirk, he's got it going on.... http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-cards

So check out the links and get some free cards too! Can't hurt to spread the word! Thanks to Shutterfly.com for this fabulous opportunity and to all of you for reading. The past few years my sister has helped the mother do X-mas cards and we have used Shutterfly for other things and it always impresses me how fast, reliable, and good quality their products are. Some things really are what they claim to be; how refreshing :)

Happy (beginning to the) Holidays!!!

The times they are a'changin'

2010-11-13T12:09:00.001-08:00

Wow.....

Since August:

New job

Ended the relationship

Little Bro turned 20

Sister still in Africa

Moving out

New roommate

And that's only 2 months.....

Who knows where the next 2 months will find me.

Teacher note: I have left my comfort zone of Kindergarten and moved on up! I am now teaching 1st grade after 4 years in Kindergarten. Not only did I change grade levels, but I'm also at a different (year round!!) school. I have a VERY challenging class which in the 13 school days I have been there have given me the flu, almost broken my hand (on purpose), literally affected my blood pressure, and made me rethink teaching. I NEVER thought I would have to defend and argue with other teachers about how I have to be ''naive'', I have to think I can change the world one child at a time. If I didn't have that little nugget of hope, I wouldn't get through the day. But in the past 3 weeks, I have cried on the phone to my mother more times than I can remember about how lost and unprepared I already feel with this class. They had a teacher quit on them when they needed stability more than anything and they do not respect a single adult in that building mostly because every day one of them asks me when I plan on leaving them. It breaks my heart, but it doesn't shock me. We have made baby steps, and I see the kind of class they can be.

Some things that have really helped:

Music - Greg and Steve as found on grooveshark.com (totally check out this website!). We have a very active class and before any transition (going to specials, before lunch, assemblies, the library, even when we're about to go outside) we play a song that gets our wiggles out. Thank God for music and childrens' love of dancing.

Fuzzies - This is a gem that I stole from a teacher I worked with at my last school. We have a 'fuzzy jar' and whenever I think as a class they are doing something wonderful they get a fuzzy. Whenever they are given a compliment by another teacher or student or any adult such as "What a nice quiet line" or "They were great today in Art"; they get a fuzzy. They have really taken to compliments and I see them giving each other compliments without me prompting them! I love seeing good manners in young children because unfortunately it seems so rare these days. I like the tangible idea of a fuzzy (ya know, those little puff balls) and it makes me think of warm fuzzies. So when they fill the fuzzy jar, we get to have a little celebration. It could be having a pajama day, popcorn for snack, Magic School Bus video, etc. A good class bonding activity. This certainly isn't a new concept, you can even buy a pre-made kit: http://www.reallygoodstuff.com/product/warm+fuzzy+jar+kit.do

But I like mine..

2 Dollar store bags of fuzzies: $2

a jar from my pantry: recycled sauce jar, about $2

Teaching kids the great feeling from earning, receiving, or giving a compliment: priceless

I'm a happy girl....

2010-08-10T07:16:00.000-07:00

I'm heading to the beach today and will be back on Saturday. One guess who is taking me!!! We've been doing great and I'm so excited to get to spend this time with the boy. And get this; I'll be meeting the mother! Can't wait to come back and tell you all about it, but lot's to do before hitting the road.

So late this afternoon, I'll be sitting on the back porch with an adult beverage looking out to this...........

And this evening I can't wait to snuggle up and watch this......

(Both pictures taken by Bboy from the house!!!)

Summer Reading

2010-08-08T21:27:00.001-07:00

I have started reading Pat Conroy's 'South of Broad'. I have loved his other books, especially "Prince of Tides" and "Beach Music". But I wanted to share one passage that I just adored.

"Sometimes a woman needs flowers, Leo. Sometimes she needs a massage, or to hold hands, or to cuddle. Sometimes she needs to call an old friend she hasn't talked to for years, or read a trashy book with a lot of dirt thrown in. Sometimes a woman needs to get laid. Or run a mile, or play three sets of tennis. But then there are nights like this one, nights when a woman needs to get drunk".

Surprise!

2010-08-06T16:03:00.000-07:00

Top favorite things from the past two days:

Bboy getting off of work at 11pm on Wednesday and driving through an awful storm to come see me at a moment's notice.

Dancing in the kitchen until 4am listening to every random song we could think of.

Billy Joel's Scenes from and Italian restaurant :)

Traditional hangover at the corner table at Courtney's; my new favorite place to have breakfast.

Snuggling while watching movies.

Late night fabulous conversations with TWF.

Trail running in Umstead Park. I have a new favorite place to run (walk). My entire body is sore. Perhaps because BBoy is a far better athlete than I could ever imagine being, and he definitely pushed me through the whole thing. But it feels great.

Least favorite thing about the past 2 days:
Saying goodbye until...............................

Thanks a lot Hollywood

2010-08-03T15:22:00.000-07:00

Are we ruined by Hollywood and it's stories? I don't think we're ruined, but they sure as hell have me confused. The perceptions we have of how romance is supposed to be is completely corrupted by Hollywood. We're supposed to lock eyes and just know. We're supposed to feel and see fireworks. Yet we say "that only happens in the movies". So when it really happens, why do we let it scare us. How do we know when to fight for it because it's worth it, or not to fight just to fight because high drama is what sells a story. Bboy is a wonderful and amazing person, and even he has said how much he has seen a change in me the past month we've known each other. He says there is this glow about me that he didn't used to see. He knows and understands parts of me that I never even understood. When I'm not with him or talking to him I'm thinking about him and wondering when I'll see him again. When I am with him all I want to do is be near him, touch him, even if it's just our fingers. Yet the mere presence of the past coupled with geographical distance, I'm finding a part of my world crumbling around me. I'm angry, I'm hurt, I'm dissapointed. Do I fight for it. But damnit, isn't it supposed to happen if it's supposed to happen?? Is he backing out because it's difficult? Or is he being smart? Or is he backing out at all?? I know this is so incredibly cryptic and completely negative and I'm sorry. But my world has people in it that say they love me and want the best for me, and sometimes I believe them. Yet why are they not genuinely happy for me? Why do they always find the negative, the wrong, the bad, the eventual end? Screw circumstances, screw the past, look and live now. Be happy. Be happy in your life and be happy for me. I just want to scream outloud how much my heart is aching right now because I know what it could be like to be happy, genuinely and beautifully happy. It isn't a perfect happiness, it isn't an easy happiness, but to have that last call of the day; someone who even at the end of their horrible day calls and makes me laugh. I look in the mirror and wonder if it's me; am I making this so incredibly more difficult and confusing on myself? Nah, it's a whole lot easier to blame someone else. And well, I'll just blame Hollywood. I know Hollywood won't take it personally, they aren't holding on to the past, and they certainly won't interfere on purpose. They're just happy if they make me laugh, cry, sing, dance, and sometimes, they make me do it all at once.

"just so we're even"

2010-07-30T06:32:00.000-07:00

Just had to share this little story. Bman(really need to get a new name) is at the beach with his family and one of his best friends joined them for the week. Since we are still a fledgling whatever we are, the idea of bringing me to the beach where his mother was, well, I saw the panic in his eyes and I said FEAR NOT. BUT, it was raining yesterday at the beach and just gorgeous here and I was sitting at the pool with KR (bestest neighbor ever) for about 5 hours. I sent him the classic picture of my view point including my legs and the pool and the beautiful blue sky. Apparently he didn't appreciate that very, and wanted a picture from the waste up (if you know what I mean), seeing how I was in a bathing suit. WELL, I am not that kind of girl, but I'm all high on endorphins of lovey dovey whatever, so I did it.. As soon as I pushed send on my phone I immediately regretted it and was annoyed with myself. He must have sensed that and after a long luxurious dip in the pool trying to forget how silly I'd just been, I come back to my phone and there is a picture of him, from the waste up, with the caption... "just so we're even".

How can someone you've known barely a month know you so well?

Bless MY heart

2010-07-23T05:07:00.000-07:00

So throughout my blogging time there has been a smattering of boy talk. There have been very hopeful highs and then quickly deleted lows. Right now, you could say I'm floating up there around a pretty decent high. I met a boy. He is smart, handsome, tall!, soo funny, so sweet and caring, beyond sincere and honest, and I'm pretty sure he likes me too. We've only gone on a few dates and they may not seem grand or utterly romantic, but I never knew what it was like to have 2 people so at ease and on the same wavelength. Our first 'date' was to see 'Oceans', the Disney version of Planet Earth type stuff. I was a little nervous, it was a group setting and to be honest wasn't entirely sure if this was a 'date' or not. But he made a point to sit next to me and my skin was absolutely on fire every time our arms would touch. There was one point in the film, you definitely had to be there, but we both turned to each other at the exact same moment and made the same joke. We couldn't stop laughing for a few minutes and I know we annoyed some around us. I was giddy. He later admitted it was at this point he wanted to kiss me and couldn't focus on the rest of the movie.. awwwww.. He doesn't live in Raleigh, so I wasn't sure when we'd be able to get together again, but as a teacher on summer break, it helps that I'm about as flexible as it can get. About a week after our first 'date', he calls me one morning after we were on the phone until the wee hours of the morning, and says, "I'll be in town at this time and we're going to see this movie at this time after dinner... I'll pick you up". Perhaps cuz I'm just not used to guys liking me and actually taking me out, I didn't pick up on the whole fact that he was driving an hour and a half to Raleigh, just for me, had made no plans with any of his friends or family, and didn't plan on making them. And what movie was he taking me to see; Toy Story 3!! I had been whining incessantly about how all the kids I know had already seen it and I really wanted to. So we went :) and it was cute and we held hands the whole time and when my eyes kinda teared up at the end, well, it was just cute, ok. Then, the next day, when all my walls really started crumbling, he took me to meet his dog (that his dad now takes care of), and after meeting Buddy, he said we have another stop! We were going to the SPCA to play with puppies. Some of you may be gagging, some of you may be saying 'awwwwww', and I'm right in the middle, hahaha. I had the best time and I think we were so ourselves during our time there, rolling around playing, picking our favorite dogs, and in the end I was almost worried we were coming home with our first son, an all white puppy we named Sam. This may sound all good and dandy, but it's hard with our pasts never seeming to get away from us and not living in the same town, but we have both acknowledged this and I'm doing my best to be fun and flexible. It's hard for me, real hard, you have no idea... because I like him a whole lot, a lot a lot, and that's scary as hell. But for now, he is my new man friend, and we shall call him B Boy (I don't love the name, but I can't think of anything else now, so deal).

F-unemployed

2010-07-22T07:47:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's what I've been this summer.. NOT unemployed, Funemployed..

So that's why I had to get my act together, get to the pool, get some tanning on and some highlights in the hair because for being funemployed I was looking AND feeling a little washed out. I have had some great alone time at the pool, alone time with my thoughts and getting my head straight and other things just figured out. (on a random LIVE sidenote, I'm sitting here at my dining room table in shorts and a bikini top and some guy drove by in his truck and was definitely just staring at me and then waved... damn, I always forget people can see me...) So I'm getting ready to head back to the pool because come the weekend it's just way too crowded, as in, other people might actually be there. I have loved being alone in my little oasis. This is all thanks to BitP. She may not know it but this is exactly what I needed and though I wish more than anything she could take a little stay-cation and come to the pool with me, it makes me happy because once again without even doing anything she is giving me exactly what I needed..

SO, enough talk, I'm wasting precious pool/sun time..... BUT, I'll be back this evening with updates on the boy :)

Alright, I'm getting a little better

2010-07-11T07:24:00.000-07:00

So I've thought about blogging all week! Just haven't gotten to it until now, my lazy Sunday. One day I had a fever of 101 (so weird, so random). Two days I was in Chapel Hill for a teacher workshop, 2 days I tutored and babysat. Had a dinner date with an old friend. Had a REAL date (more on that in another post). All around a good week. BUT, I promised pictures :)

http://laurasimsonphotography.blogspot.com/2010/07/celebrating-americas-birthday.html

This is a link to the pictures that Laura took at my 4th of July gathering at my house (love the bungalow at party times, she always looks so good!). laura is a wonderful photographer, please check out the rest of her pictures!

Sadly, I did not take pictures but other people took tons, but thanks to facebook I can't steal them anymore so I have to actually interact with the people and ask them to email me or something along those lines. geeeeez ;)

Look at the Bungalow all decked out!! Got lots of red, white, and blue going on! Two of my best friends in the pictures, and coolers full of beer!! You can even see my Volvo!! Wooo America!

Thanks Laura and everyone for taking lots of pictures....

Happy Freedom Weekend!!!

2010-07-02T10:56:00.000-07:00

Sunday is our annual Kickball and Freedom loving day in honor of the 4th. We drink, we eat, we play kickball and other games and just love on America. I'll be sure to take some fun pictures!

No excuses, play like a champion

2010-06-30T05:23:00.000-07:00

Unemployment does not suit me. Over the past two summers I have tried to embrace the "take advantage of being a teacher and having summers off and enjoy yourself" outlook, but I'm just bored. I am cranky, lazy, annoying, annoyed, needy, and just plain hungry. I have found this to be true when I go home to my parents in Virginia. There isn't much to do in Bum, VA, especially with dial-up internet and little to no cell phone reception. So what do we do, watch movies and eat food. Nowhere else do I spend SO much time staring into an open refrigerator. I have to stop and ask myself every time, "Are you actually hungry, or just plain bored and don't know what else to do?" I have slowly been accumulating some babysitting and tutoring sessions to fill some days, and I could definitely use the money with lots of weddings coming up (so if anyone in Raleigh has a job idea for me HOLLLLEERRRRR!). I've signed up for lots of teacher development workshops (before the budget for that gets completely cut), and school will be here before I know it, but I've been doing some thinking (scary, I know).

1) I should blog more: there is so much in this world that I do not take advantage of, and I have no excuse not to explore and do it up.
B) I should do all those things I keep saying I'm going to do (I know, real light bulb moment there, huh... geez).
a) Clean my freaking room: I brought a lot of stuff home from school, things I don't trust the custodians not to throw around when they clean (I love them, they do wonderful things, but they literally throw things around in the room and when I come back in the fall the room is a MESS with furniture knocked over). So I have a bunch of boxes just sitting in my room. Also, I got a 2nd roommate for the summer and had to clear out my stuff from the extra closet so that is literally sitting in a pile on the chair in my room and I have NO idea where it is supposed to go. I love old houses, but their severe lack of storage room is a real pain in my side.
2) Excercise: you have nothing else to do, lose the damn weight you've been talking about losing for 2 years now. I don't have money so it's not like I'm spending it on food, so go for a freaking run. Do all those stupid workout videos/dvds you have. For the love!

But I'll leave you with this little gem.... seriously, check it out... it's hilarious

Hyberbole and a Half

Gots to get paid son

2010-06-01T10:31:00.000-07:00

Last day of school: June 10th
Summer Employment: non-existent

I wish I was freaking out about this......

The good die young...

2010-04-25T19:59:00.000-07:00

Wyatt Ellyson Flory
7/31/1995-4/25/2010

Loved his big brother

Always there behind you, making you laugh

In everything he did, he found joy.. and always had a smile on his face

Just this past Easter, I began to see the man he was to become. Here, at the ODH races making fun of the big bro...

Philip (my brother), Will (Philip's BF and Wyatt's big brother), and Wyatt

Though he will be utterly and unbearably missed, I know this sweet young boy is in a good place. I have known him since the day he was born, changed his diapers, made him more PB&J sandwiches than I could ever imagine. He was the "little brother" of my little brother; the younger brother of my little brother's best friend since Kindergarten. He was an ever present laugh, a hug, a smile, a sweetheart. He was an angel here on Earth, but God must have needed someone to make him laugh for him to take him so soon. RIP Wyatt, you are so loved.

2010-04-21T15:02:00.001-07:00

just got caught in a thunderstorm in pouring down rain while running with Millie our neighbors dog.. LOVED IT

Summer I am so ready!!!

Kindergarten and Skirts

2010-04-12T07:32:00.000-07:00

My entire life I have wanted to be a teacher. Even to this day, almost at the end of my 3rd year of teaching Kindergarten, I marvel that I was lucky enough to fall into this position and realize exactly what I wanted to teach. I am walking around, sitting on the floor, squatting, bending, pacing the entire day. One day I really want to wear a pedometer to see exactly how far I walk. Due to this type of movement all day, it's difficult or just plain inconvenient to wear a skirt. Now, I wore a long flowy skir the other day that was perfect for squatting, sitting criss-cross applesauce, and hiding 2 children under the excess fabric while still being completely clothed. But I have so many cute things in my closet that I just can't bring myself to wear. I look at the 1st grade teachers and they wear cute things and sometimes short (well, teacher short) skirts. But they do not get on the ground, pick children up, or do Kindergarten level things nearly as often. I'm straight up jealous sometimes. I woke up this morning, sun is shining, and it's absolutely wonderful outside. I love spring. So I said, Ms. T, suck it up, wear a dress, look cute, feel great. So I did. And I love it. So here is to not letting the job stop me from wearing what I want. Below is a dress similar to the one I'm wearing. Paired with a little white cardigan and my white "tori burch" flats, I think I look darn cute :)

BYOB

2010-04-09T10:32:00.001-07:00

It truly feels like spring today and everyone is pining away for their already long lost winter clothes. This is what it's supposed to feel like!!! I don't mind it though I have LOVED getting a good start on a tan. In honor of spring and yet still trying to embrace summer, it's BYOB at the Bungalow this evening. Throw some stuff on the grill, play some yard games, and hopefully have a relaxing evening in the comfort of my own home.

Now, what beer do I feel like this evening? I bought a 12 pack of Corona for the races this past weekend because it was 85 degress, but I did not have a single one of them (hooray for younger brothers and his underage friends). So do I try that again since I still have all the limes. Or hmmm, go for economics here and stick to some Miller light action.

Any suggestions for a cheap yet fun beer I should give a chance to?

A new era... Go Tribe

2010-04-07T04:51:00.001-07:00

Frankly, just happy to have the Green and Gold.. feathers :)

"work day"

2010-04-05T07:25:00.000-07:00

Today is our last day of "spring break". It is technically a workday but seeing how I am still sitting here at home and it's almost 10:30AM, I'm not breaking my neck to get into school this morning.

When I first started this blog, I used it as a sounding board, a place to vent, to let it out, to get feedback. A few minutes ago, the reason I logged into the computer was to come here and write about my weekend and everything that happened. When it comes down to it though, I'm just over it. Everyone has their problems, personally, romantically, and of course with their family. So why would you want to come here and hear me whine and complain. For those of you that do read me from time to time, thank you for all my previous whine sessions.

I watched a movie last night when I couldn't sleep called "Mister 11". I needed a mindless stupid (what I thought to be a) rom-com. It was not so much. It's about a woman so obsessed with numbers and statistics, that on her wedding day she throws everything away because she finds out that the man she just married was not actually her number 11. How stupid. But me not letting things just be as simple as they are and needing to make it all that much more deep and complicated, let my mind run away with it. It just shows how we take stupid little inane things and let them screw up the big picture. We are all so scared. OK, maybe not all of us, but I sure am. I look at my time here in Raleigh; 4 years in August. I have not had a single legit relationship. I've had things that I longed to be real, prayed one day would be everything I imagined. I wasted time with guys being exactly what they wanted and nothing that I did. It took a coworker of mine, a married woman with 3 children, 30 seconds to tell me how messed up in the head I was after me whining about my (lack of a) romantic life. It's not their fault I fall for guys that are emotionally unavailable at the time. I did it so I knew I was safe and it would end on it's own. I don't know if I'm ready for something real now, but I don't want to end up looking back and be able to say I didn't try. I'm ready to try and open up and let someone in. And I know, that if it doesn't work out, I have people in my life that love me and support me and I'll be OK.

So, long story now short: I think I met someone. We've hung out a grand total of 3 times, only 1 official date, but he's a sweetheart. Nothing like I ever really looked for, but sometimes, that's what you need to get things jump started. So I'm trying to play it cool, if he likes me he likes me, if not, we move on. BUT, here's to the man friend. Thanks for coming around at the perfect time.

Explanation

2010-02-19T04:39:00.000-08:00

OK OK OK.

Yes, beer on a porch is a little redneck. BUT, hear me out. I was having a slumber party at a friend's house while the husband was out of town. We were all bringing over beer, eating pizza, watching movies, playing games, and maybe even throw in painting our nails. But since a lot of us were crashing, and I wanted to make sure I slept on something somewhat comfortable, I was bringing a lot. I had an air mattress, sleeping bag, pillow, blanket, my overnight bag, a bag of groceries with chips and salsa in it, AND a whole case of beer. Now my friend, CLJ, lives in this older community, with lots of little sidestreets with 3 or 4 houses on it, no sidewalks, either older couples or really young families. It's also VERY hilly. I turn off onto her cul-de-sac (with a grand total of4 houses on it), no street lights, no sidewalk, and her long, steep up hill driveway. Now, the list above of stuff, I decided to carry all at once. I figured just pile it on, one trip, DONE. I get it all together, start walking up the driveway, halfway through I'm losing circulation, but refuse to give up. I finally make it to the front door and it takes most of the strength I have left not to DROP the beer on the porch. I put it down so I can open the door and go inside. It was cold, I figured it be ok for a few minutes while I get settled, etc. Everyone starts showing up, we order the pizza, pizza comes very quickly, woooooo time for a beer!!!

Ummm, guys, where's my beer???

2010-02-07T13:03:00.000-08:00

The pizza delivery boy stole my case of beer off the porch.

Day 3

2010-02-03T07:33:00.000-08:00

Here we are. Raleigh, NC. Day 3 of the completely (un)necessary house arrest. The storm has passed us now (4 days ago). You can barely see (the snow on) the roads. There is a massive amount of snow left everywhere.. almost half an inch.. in some spots. The wind blowing is an intense calm. And the sky, oh the foreboding winter sky, of partly sunny. Do I dare venture outside?!?! Yes, I bundle up in my tshirt and jeans and bravely force open the (barely used lately) front door. GASP! My skin, I can hardly handle this blistery temperature of 40 degrees and rising. Oh the humanity. OH Wake County Public Schools. How could I have ever doubted your decision to cancel classes for the 3rd day in a row. Monday, I saw the reasoning and embraced your decision. Tuesday, I openly mocked you, but occasionally gave in to your will. But today, today oh what have you done to us. Thank you, thank you, for taking away the workday the day after my birthday. THANK YOU, for adding a day to the end of the year. And then for today, thank you, for taking away, a day from my spring break. I truly do not know how I will every repay you for looking out for our safety in such a manner.

So here's to you school board. Hope you slept in today.

***** Please do not take this as bitter and cynical as it blatantly is. I love sleeping in, I love snow, but I also love my kids and I LOVE my spring break. I'm just bored and sarcastic as hell.

Never.... ever....

2010-01-31T09:24:00.000-08:00

I am never drinking again. Well, starting tomorrow.... until my birthday.... in 2 weeks.... damnit

WARNING

2010-01-28T15:01:00.000-08:00

So as I drove home today after school, I really wanted to get something specific for dinner. I rarely venture to our the local Teeter after school for multiple reasons. At the end of the day I rarely look good enough to venture into the Cam Vill one, as I do not wish to meet my future husband with paint all over me.. then again, I guess that's something he'll have to get used to. Also, the parking is brutal. And the one up Oberlin, well, sometimes I just don't want to run into my girls from St Marys at the end of a long day and do the "COACH T!! How are you?! I miss you!" routine. BUT, today was an exception.....

Dear Raleigh,
Yes, it might snow. Yes, there could be freezing rain. Yes, it could be real slippery. So please listen. A) don't overstock on milk.. what if the electricity goes out B) if you don't already have bread in the house, do you really need 3 loaves RIGHT NOW C) get a (excuse my language) freaking grip here. If part of drivers education was learning about how to NOT freak out in winter weather, the south would (seriously) not be made fun of as much. As someone only from a state up, I get it, it doesn't happen all that often. But for the love of Pete, whomever he may be, just go slow, know your car, and stay on major roads if you have to, and just stay home if you can.

This has been a friendly public service announcement.

PS: SNOW PARTY HERE I COME

The Bar

2010-01-24T09:31:00.001-08:00

There is a place in Raleigh that is unlike all others. R&WP calls it, "The Bar". I'm not entirely sure how I would describe this place, except... well, just simply amazing. If you weren't fully convinced how small ITB was, go to The Bar, and it'll get thrown in your face. That guy you were making out with on the dance floor last weekend, yea, he's over there talking to your roommate and you're new favorite friend that you're hanging out with at the moment, yea, they know each other. You can show up at this bar and you will find someone you know. It could be someone you went to Kindergarten with.... in Virginia. Or it could be some of your best friends, because they are awesome and amazing and I love that I know they'll be there. But last night, was a night for the books.

III, JHS, and Watkins were at The Bar. Now hear me out. This shouldn't happen. Just like KTP said, we should be safe at The Bar. But there they were. They hate The Bar. Have refused with promises of free alcohol AND food. Yet in they walked. Worlds were colliding ALL OVER THE PLACE. Now I apologize for those that do not know me, these people, this bar. But for those that do, you understand. In the end, it was a very fun night, definitely one to remember, made lots of new friends, danced, drank, and was very merry. But I believe I was in what I like to call "people overload". Every time I turned around someone else was there. I have this new friend and we seem to click very well. He's very easy to talk to. Without him and his "slutty", "desperate", "wasted", etc, commentary on the people around us, I think I may have been in shock. He was my comic relief for the night. So I've decided I like making new guy friends. No, seriously. I think things can get so wrapped up and though I didn't have someone to go home to/with, it put a huge smile on my face when I got a phone call saying he got home safe and was checking on me....

Something to be said about southern gentlemen.....

But let me reiterate, my new life theme song:

It's a small world after all.
It's a small world after all.
It's a small world after all.
It's a small
small
world!

Gratitude

2010-01-06T19:17:00.001-08:00

If you asked my mother, I am a very ungrateful person. She believes this can come easily from being unhappy, but she finds it hard to tell the difference between the two when it comes to me. I think I have been bred from a hard learned truth that life has been really bad when its bad, but also really good when it's good. I seem to miss those middle of the ground periods. I try to be positive; or atleast I am now. A new year's resolution of mine is to take the little things in life, remember them, hold on to them, and let them bring me joy even in the darkest of days. 2 years ago, a student of mine gave me a Christmas present. At the time, I scoffed at it, thinking this was simply a re-gift from his mother and was honestly somewhat annoyed. This child made my day to day, well, not so awesome; and the mother wasn't so swift either. Sometimes these types of parents realize what they put us teachers through, and on occasion have really stepped it up and sucked up at Christmas time. This present, however, almost annoyed me more. The Simple Abundance Journal of Gratitude. This was a hardback book, with quotes of gratitude randomly throughout a calendar of sorts. It's a diary I guess, where you write a few words, a sentence at most, about what you were grateful for that day. At the time I threw it on a shelf and hadn't looked at it again until just a few days ago... and it hit me. This is my new year's resolution. How dare I take a gift from a student and not cherish it with my whole heart. How dare I take a gift from a mother who may realize she does not know me and does not have the first clue what to do for me (or her child). But instead of looking at the negatives like that, I was happy. Happy I waited to use this book 2 years later for I believe I need this book now more than ever. In his own writing, whether coerced by his mother or not, a young boy wrote to me: "Ms. T, Thank you for being a wonderful teacher. Thank you for everything. Sterling". He may have made my first year in Kindergarten damn tough, but he's doing amazing in 2nd grade, he has grown into a very handsome young successful student. And you're damn right I take some credit.

So I figured I would every now and then, update and let you know what I've entered into my GB (grateful book). I think the whole point, or as I interpret it as, is you don't need to write a book to explain what you're thankful for. I may forget the specific things I reference from day to day, but the idea of it will remain. I may not remember what movie made me laugh, which child gave me an unexpected hug, but I'll know it made me happy.

The opening quote is:

"If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough."
~ Meister Eckhart

Jan 1: Being with friends to start the new year
Jan 2: A roaring fire and a good movie
Jan 3: The Goat
Jan 4: A job
Jan 5: Kindergarten hugs, even when you don' "need" them
Jan 6: Sense of humor - mine and other's

2009-12-20T18:48:00.000-08:00

CHRISTMAS VACATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 2 WHOLE WEEKS OF FREEDOM!!! ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR WHAT TO DO OVER BREAK???

There isn't just one day to think of these things....

2009-12-11T10:13:00.000-08:00

DONE with classes until January, and only 2 more classes after that.

1 more week of school with the kiddies until 2 weeks off for the Holidays!!

Countless parties with many wonderful friends.

My (current) health, and my family and friends'.

Things that have made me smile this week especially....

Things I am ever so thankful for at this moment.....

E-E-EHS

2009-11-13T07:50:00.001-08:00

Go Maroons!!

Off to EHS for the weekend with R&WP. Go Highschool!

I have 5 minutes....

2009-11-09T10:26:00.001-08:00

To all you teachers out there...

I have been lucky enough to be deemed one of the more flexible, go with the flow (shocking I know), try new things Kindergarten teachers at my school. Just a few weeks ago, I had our Technology assistant come up to me and ask if I would like a SMARTBoard in my classroom. I of course just assumed it was a rhetorical question or perhaps she was taking a poll. We had just bought 1 with school funds that resided in one of our computer labs, but I knew for a fact, not many people used it. When I said, of course, I love using them in my grad classes at night, there are so many interesting and fun things you can do with them, etc etc... she responded with: "Fabulous, could you stay a few minutes after school today and I'll bring it down?".. SAY WHAT!! So for the past 2 weeks, we rearranged, discussed with the class, eased ourselves into it's use, and had a lot of research time for Ms. T at home trying to find fun and interesting, Kindergarten appropriate activities. There is a plethura of materials out there, so I shouldn't really need to ask, but my mantra as a teacher truly is "don't reinvent the wheel".

Do you have any fun activities that could be used, do you have experience using it in your classroom, what has not worked, let me know! I'm so excited and right now we're still working out some kinks of where to have it (life would be SO much easier if I had a ceiling mounted projector), etc etc! THANKS!!

E-E-E-H-S and a haircut

2009-11-08T19:01:00.000-08:00

6 days until I get to go back to the 'Holy Hill' and relive some glory days. I'll be sure to have the camera up and running by then :)

Before all that, I've been pining away for a haircut. Money is super tight, so I've been holding off and shelling out the dollar dollar bills for it. The difference this time, is that I want a real haircut. I feel like I need to grow away from the long straight hair with nothing to it. Once upon a time I suppose you could say I had long layers in it and those swoopy side bangs, but everything is long grown out and just plain LONG. It's so long. It's at that point where if I don't see someone for a week or so and they see my hair, without fail they comment on how long it is. It's exhausting, it's heavy, and it takes forrrrrreevvvvvveeerrrrr to wash and dry. My whole life I've been in the roller coaster trend of hair. It gets long, I chop it off and then grow it out until I chop it off then grow it out.................

So my question to all you out there, I want to keep the length, but I want to put a little something something into it without requiring a lot of effort to maintain. Does that make sense? So what would I tell the stylist to make sure I'm getting my point across?

H20 Overload

2009-11-02T13:29:00.000-08:00

This morning while (very lazily and slowly) getting ready for school, I was watching Good Morning America. They had a short segment about a young woman, mother of 3 children I believe, that entered a radio contest. The contest was to see who could drink the most water and last the longest without peeing. The winner would go home with a Wii. The contestants all drank about 2 gallons of water in about a 3 hour period without going to the bathroom. Before the end of the contest, this young woman was already complaining of difficulty breathing, a headache, and being lightheaded. Nurses and others were calling in to the radio show saying you could die from water intoxication. I had never heard of this. I had been threatened as a young child that if I did not pee before a long trip (and my parents were not going to pull over if I didn't atleast try before we left), and I held it for a long time, my bladder could explode. Well, this put a whole new twist to it. Just hours after the contest, this young woman dies at home. Now, I'm not writing this to try and ruffle some feathers or start a debate about whether her family should have won a settlement or not, BUT just to point out another tidbit I've mulled over in the past. They tell us to drink drink drink drink drink water. And yet, you really seriously can drink too much. They say to take vitamins everyday! but you can seriously take too many. I think when it comes to your health and what you should do, you should, just like any other information, take it with a grain of salt (and a margarita if it's handy), and do what feels right for you. May we all find the middle ground, the perfect balance, a healthy lifestyle, and a good glass of wine.

Can you tell this teacher is in need of an adult beverage?? And it's only Monday... oh me..

Priorities and The Pig

2009-10-26T16:36:00.000-07:00

Two big fat P's seem to be hanging over my head lately. Priorities: I should be working on my homework that is due tomorrow and Wednesday evening in both my classes, but it almost seems too daunting and I just don't know where to start. I came home and knew I needed to get right to work, but was easily swayed by the idea of a 'short' cat nap. 2 hours later, well, it was dinner time, isn't that a priority. So here I sit, still procrastinating (another darn P), but atleast I have my notebook, books, and syllabus in front of me. It's not that I don't want to do it, or that I can't do it, I just seem to be a little burned out from the past 11 months of grad school that I know I'll get it done, so why stress. I wish I was getting the grades in undergrad that I'm getting now and I wish I had the freedom and time I had in college. Always greener....... But atleast I know this 'P' is of my own creation, I do have control over it, and I better get my act together. The other 'P', however, is sadly far far out of my control. The Pig (aka: swine flu): I had the regular flu about a month ago. I shouldn't have been at school on Monday, got the fever that evening, did not break the fever until late Wednesday night, went to school on Thursday for about an hour, and then came home with another fever (I know I know), before actually almost staying the whole day on Friday. I still used much of the weekend to recuperate, so it was a solid 6 days for me. Now fast forward 3 weeks. Picture my classroom. I'm so anxious for the kiddies to come in and tell me all about the end of last week and their weekend. I was out Thursday and Friday (a later blog) from school for a wedding and missed our very first field trip. Though some very interesting things happened that I'm not sad to have missed (projectile vomitting), I was anxious to hear how they felt about it. But last Wednesday we had 8 students out of my 22 absent. Yes, over a third of my class, sick. AWESOME. So I was hoping they would all be healthy, happy, and present. Well, not so much, atleast there weren't AS many absent today. Atleast, in the beginning. I sent a student home shortly after lunch with a fever, so we were back to 8 absent. UGH... I know they do not ALL have swine flu, but it doesn't matter!! We wash our hands, with soap, and we count. We use tissues, we wipe down tables AND chairs, we don't use the water fountains in the halls (we have one in our room which we wipe down and have practice NOT touching with our mouths (I can only control so many)... So why is my class dropping like flies. Most other classes have at most 2-4 kids out. What am I doing wrong?!?! It's driving me NUTS!!! This is NOT a fun post, and I hate that, but I'm working my way back into this so.. well, Baby Steps.. Now whenever someone says that, know it's just a bunch of BS... clever aren't I????

Enough is enough...

2009-10-20T10:27:00.000-07:00

I'm coming back.. I thought we were phasing out, but I just can't do it anymore. I miss writing. Whether people actually really read and/or enjoy my writing, I enjoy it, and we all need to have something in our lives, that we can claim to be completely selfish about. I (sometimes) like knowing that I need to set aside a few minutes to sit down and write.... This all came to me last night when I was finishing up some homework and decided I just needed to get away from it all. I threw on some unnecessarily dark clothing (need some new running clothes if I keep doing this at night), threw the phone on the bed, grabbed the IPod and ran out of the house. About an hour later (I KNOW RIGHT?!), I came back in to my exceptionally warm house (it was gross to be honest), and felt amazing. I'm not saying I ran the whole time, let's not get ahead of ourselves now. But I enjoyed walking/running around my (new) neighborhood and seeing all the Halloween/fall decorations. I figured enough is enough. Get my act together, on so many different fronts, and let's get moving...

Here's to fall, getting our acts together, and enough simply being enough

Can you tell I'm back in school????

2009-09-01T19:19:00.000-07:00

I miss y'all so much!! I have so much I've been wanting to write about and just never have the momentum to do it!!! Until that time, listen, watch, and enjoy my 'new' favorite song.. I jam out to Otis on my record player to my papa's "Best of Otis Redding" album, but thanks to youtube.....

PS: to all you teachers out there, I only have 22 in my class thus far.. phew.. But it's only the first week of school. Pray for me that our numbers don't get any bigger. I have a friend in the same county, Kindergarten as well, that has 27. jeez louise

Don't mind me.....

2009-08-11T20:34:00.001-07:00

I'm just sitting here in bed getting a little light headed (don't worry, I just opened back up my door). You see, I have this fear; a rather irrational fear at that. I believe I have mentioned it before. I have a fear of cockroaches. Not just because they're dirty, creepy, gross, big, and crunch when you kill them, but I just outright fear them. I try to be brave, and I'll see one, I'll grab a shoe, and attempt to attack. I'll get within a foot and before I know it I'm throwing the shoe at the darn thing and screaming like a little girl running in the other direction. I CAN'T HELP IT!!! I once had to get TWF to come over to my then condo, come inside and kill a roach that had been residing on the wall over my only door in and out of my condo. I had been a prisoner in my own home for about 5 hours because I knew, I just knew, that if I attempted to leave and pass under said roach, he would jump on me. And as a grown woman, I don't fancy screaming like a little girl and spazzing out while (not to be crass) most likely peeing in my pants. I kid you not. And yes, I know it's ridiculous. But back to why I'm light headed. I have this spray that works wonders. Country Fresh Scent my butt. If you can get a direct hit and hold it for at least a second, the sucker is a goner. I have even found the residual effects to be rather good as I have found a day or two later dead guys I didn't even know were around. So I'm sitting here in bed, and out of the corner of my eye, what should I see, but a nice young fella trying to crawl up my pretty blue curtains. Oh hellllllllll no. I run to the kitchen, grab my Country Fresh, and I go to spray and the damn thing jumps. Well thank God I didn't just throw the spray can!! I'm spraying up towards the ceiling as I'm screaming and jumping onto my bed (leaping might have been a better word). But of course he drops down behind my chair. I inch off my bed and walk over to said chair. Don't see him, don't hear him, I'm certainly not going to move the chair and see if he's under it... so naturally I spray a ring around the chair. He wants to get away from the chair; he must pass through the ring of death. Feeling a bit better about the whole situation, I get back in bed and pray I don't have creepy bug dreams. BUT LO AND BEHOLD, not 5 minutes later over in the other corner of my room I hear this odd sorta scratching noise. HE'S ALIVE!! Though I can tell he's suffering as some of his legs don't seem to be working. He's actually kinda freaking out which is only making ME freak out. Needless to say, the spray was still sitting on my bedside table... I grab the spray, take aim, but just as I am about to spray, he casually cralws under the bed. Wanting to get some sleep tonight I knew I couldn't let him get away. So I lean over, hanging over the side of the bed on my stomach and look... and wait.. and decide to just spray... when WHOOOOOSH the damn thing comes flying/sprinting/dive bombing/suicide mission running straight towards my face!! Still spraying for my dear life I spring upwards onto my bed essentially spraying the entire wall before regaining some composure and I look over. He's sitting on top of my book (that I swear I've been reading.. aka: haven't even started). Well, I figured I wasn't going to start it tonight anyway... and once again, I spray like my life is depending on it. So now, if you came into my room, you'd smell the lovely Country Fresh aroma and find a dead cockroach upside down on top of a book next to my bed..... WHAT?! I'm not gonna touch it....

A little summer loving'

2009-08-06T13:13:00.000-07:00

*check out the garter and the veil on the 'bride'....

I stole this from a friend's wedding facebook album... How cute is that!

WOOP WOOP

2009-07-30T11:12:00.000-07:00

CONGRATS TO RED AND WHITE PREPPY FOR GETTING THE JOB!!!!!

XOXOXOX

Not trying to be political, but sometimes you just have to laugh

2009-07-29T11:44:00.000-07:00

Our lovely thriving metropolis of Raleigh is being graced by The President's presence today. He is here to spread the word of his health care plan. I am not here to get on my soap box as a state employee and how all these pay cuts and firings and hiring freezes suck, BUT I am here to hopefully make a few of you chuckle. There is a saying in Raleighwood, about being "ITB". This, otherwise known as "inside the beltline", is the distinction between all that is good in the world, and all that is not. To be OUTSIDE the beltline, well, we won't discuss that in detail, but let's just say you know when you're OTB. To be ITB is to be above the rest. To be what people strive to be and have. (SOO joking by the way... but not really....you'll never know). Obviously, this is something that is taken above and beyond and to heart by many to a level that is just ridiculous. And yes, there are ITB round stickers for your car. BitP and I were talking the other day about how we could live in this bubble, how we could live ITB, and never have to leave. There is nothing you can not get within the beltline, or not be able to get online. Try me, we wracked our brains. If you can think of something, I shall be impressed. Anywhoo, back to the point. Many within the beltline, shall I say, may not be the biggest supporters of our new president (such a stereotype I know), but many are greatly interested to see him in person and hear him speak on his plan. Well, he was messing up my world as I really needed to get to Cameron Village to do some shopping, but he was speaking at Broughton Highschool which is within a half mile of CV. Not needing to spend 2 hours trying to find a parking spot or have dogs sniff for bombs in my car, I decided to just forgo and try again tomorrow. A friend of mine, who works very close to CV got to see the limo parade by his office window this morning... I shortly received this text from him:

I cant figure out why Broughton is letting Obama speak on campus,
he is SO not ITB.

I didn't stop laughing for about 5 minutes. To many of you, this will be a pointless blog and you may think me weird for writing it. But it's just too funny.

.

PS: I obviously live ITB ;-)

Spread The Word

2009-07-27T20:54:00.001-07:00

If you live in or visit the Raleigh area, I have a great new place you need to stop and check out.

Check out Barefoot Bird's new gig!!!

I finally got to go up today to check out the store. She has found some fabulous finds and has given them some TLC and spruced them up to try and sell them at Affordable Chic. LOVE IT!!! So proud of her for doing her thing, putting herself out there, and keeping a smile on her face the whole time.

passed down....

2009-07-16T10:42:00.000-07:00

Since highschool, I have worn this ring:

(image courtesy jamesavery.com)
I have worn it on my right hand pretty much without fail for going on 8 years. Wow, it really has been 8 years since highschool........ Anyway, occasionally I will wear my grandfather's ring that looks a little like this:

Mine has a fancy 'E' engraved on top which is actually square, and the sides are just like that all fancy and whatnot though mine seems thinner, more delicate. I'm sure someone is cringing at my wonderful description and there are actually phrases and terms I could use, eh, I'll figure it out later.

But every now and then, I will wear one of my grandmothers bands. It is platinum with a small band of diamonds in it. It was one of two bands that she wore and then were passed down to my sister and me. It is so thin, so fragile, so delicate, and yet to me so utterly beautiful. There was a while that I wore it more often than my JA cross, but I felt like it was getting worn a bit too much. But every now and then I will take it out, shine it up a bit, and think of Nana...

Do you have any family jewelry that you love to wear? What is your quintessential everyday jewelry??

Some light entertainment...

2009-07-10T21:32:00.000-07:00

10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother & father's middle name) Mary Ulric
9. NASCAR NAME: (first name of your mother's dad, fathers dad) Nils Jack
8.STARWARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, 2 letters of your first) Thoev
7. DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, fav animal) Blue Dog
6. SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born) Louise Warrenton
5. SUPERHERO NAME: (2nd fav color, fav drink, add "THE" to the beginning) The Green Tea
4. FLY GIRL/GUY NAME: (1st 2 letters of 1st name, last 2 letters ofyour last name) Evnd... aww, that doesn't work at all
3. GANGSTA NAME: ( fav ice cream flavor, fav cookie) Cookies & Cream Oreo
2. ROCK STAR NAME: (current pets name, current street name) ....... Reaves
STRIPPER NAME: ( name of your fav perfume/cologne, fav candy) Woman Reece's

Happy 4th of July!!!

2009-07-03T06:40:00.000-07:00

Happy Happy Freedom weekend!

I have (stolen) internet so I do apologize for not updating more about the big move! BUT, we are in, we are getting more than settled, we are painting, decorating, shopping (with money neither one of us has!), and simply loving The Bungalow! It's an OLD house, so there are a few things we're getting used to, but I simply adore it. I can't believe, after almost 3 years of living in Raleigh (I can't believe I've been here 3 years!!!), I have only now found a place I know I will truly call home. I've had a few close calls, but this house is so much me, so much Peaches, and it's just really working out wonderfully.

But it's now the 3rd of July and I am preparing for a very fun filled weekend. I am partaking in a fun filled day, hosted by Barefoot's Badger. We're going to have some fun yard games, lots of domestic beer, some pig on the cooker, and of course, some good old fashioned kicball. AND I took note of the signs I had been getting for about the past week and a half, and bit the bullet and invited a boy to join in my Freedom Festivities.. and he said yes! So I'm kinda excited about that, and look forward to seeing if he is just coming as a friend, or perhaps maybe we can make it a bit more. I'll have to write about that later when I might actually have something fun to write about.

We're in....

2009-06-28T04:06:00.000-07:00

As a few of my guy friends like to say whenever they correctly do something (find the write channel, get the internet to work, get the car started, you name it, they'll say it); well, WE'RE IN! (and no..... get your mind out of the gutter right now missy). Ladies and gentlemen, I have moved once again. It is an amazing disaster, boxes everywhere, nothing unpacked, and I still have stuff (just clothing) at the old place. Long story short, I have to pay rent at old and new house in July, so I figured I'll worry about all my hanging clothes later after I figure out where in the world I'm going to put them in my new teeny closet!!! EEEK.

The parents came down to help me move and as it turned out the 3 of us moved everything. I thought I was going to have some manly help, but apparently a trip to Figure 8 took precedence. Needless to say all that beer I was going to buy them for saying they would help me, well, I think they now owe ME! But with only a few minor confrontations between everyone, we're both in (me and Peaches the roomie). I came up and stayed with my parents for the night, though not planned. I wanted to spend the night in my new house, first night, but my parents are staying at one of my friends' home who are out of town, and when I fell asleep on the sofa, they didn't wake me. Hahaha, imagine the confusion :) So as I'm sitting here waiting for my home-cooked breakfast (suhweeeeet), I figured I'd say hey to everyone.

I think I'm going to go home and take 'before' pictures of boxes everywhere so I can give you the fabulous 'after' pictures. I can't wait for it to be all set up and good and ready to go. We're hoping to have everything together for a something the weekend after the 4th. Shall it be a stock the bar party, cookout, straight up housewarming, who knows!!

I need ADVICE on something...

Peaches the roommate has these fabulous chairs for the back deck and a table that goes with them. This table however used to have a glass top. This glass is now no longer with us, but getting a big piece of glass cut I know you all know is NOT cheap. Has anyone found an out of the ordinary type of place to go, a good way to find cheap glass. I don't want it scratched or poorly cut or anything, but ya know what I mean??? Or any fabulous super cheap ideas to remedy the situation short term until we can afford the new glass?

I'm thinking I'll be writing frequently, as I see myself getting bored, tired, exhausted with unpacking and will need some breaks :)

Hope everyone's summer is going fabulously!!!!!!!!!!!

Greatest thing EVER

2009-06-13T16:28:00.000-07:00

I got the keys early to the Bungalow and ran by today to open the doors, let it air out a bit, see how much I want to clean BEFORE we move in, even after the cleaners have been there, check light bulbs, water the (few) plants in the yard and mostly just daydream about being in and settled. I sat down for a mini-break on the porch swing and decided to give my father a call and have a daddy-daughter chat. We talked for about 20 minutes when I couldn't help but say "Papa, whenever I get off the phone with you, I'm just not sure if I'll be leaving this porch swing!". I was so absolutely content, sitting there swinging, there was a breeze, birds chirping, no one around, AMAZING. So to all you out there, if you can't get ahold of me, you will probably find me here...

Now, who can tell me where I can find some fabulous porch swing pillows?!

In honor of the first day of summer

2009-06-12T07:10:00.001-07:00

So now that I've had some time to catch up and read some of y'alls blogs, I came upon this video from Ro at Bare With Me... As I told her, maybe I shouldn't have seen that the first day of summer... BUT, as I wiped my tears away I knew I just had to share it

xoxoxox to all you teachers out there!!!

Schoooooool's out FOR the summer!!!

2009-06-12T06:26:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

I am writing to you from the comfort of my bed; at 9:30AM; on a Friday. Hello summer :)

Though I am super excited to have some down time, time to pack, time to work on a tan, time to sleep... I am not super excited about having no set source of income lined up for the summer months yet. I have tried, I have applied, I have almost begged a few times. I am supposed to be taking a bunch of workshops this summer, I'll continue having classes on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and because of all these prior commitments, go figure when I walk up with a list of times and days I can NOT work, they aren't exactly jumping for joy to hire me. I know that something will work out, I've gotten a few calls about babysitting, and a potential part-time weekend only job (which blows, but beggars can't be choosers). So I think if I am super good, I can make it through the next two months. FINGERS CROSSED.

15 days until we move to The Bungalow!!!!

Movin on up!

2009-06-07T16:03:00.000-07:00

Actually, I'm moving down the street! Yep, that's right, I'm moving AGAIN. Y'all that have known me for awhile must think something is severely wrong with me. BUT, one of my new most favorite friends, Peaches (met through Pav) and I found our little bungalow and are super excited to be moving. There is a whole load of high-drama surrounding my current roommate and landlord, but in hopes of me becoming a more optimistic and positive person, I'll focus on the fun. This will be for the best because I'm moving WITH someone into a new house that neither of us have lived in before. It's a clean slate and I can put just as much of me into it. I can truly feel like it is my home and I am living there with someone that I chose.

The house is a teeny little thing, with a great front yard that has 2 huge oak trees; I'm feeling a hammock. It's in an area I would love to always live in, 5 points. It's quiet. There is a fun park just at the end of the street with a creek and everything running through it. I have friends that live nearby. We have a working fireplace, a fun back deck, hardwood floors. OH I'm so excited. Almost doesn't seem real yet though. AND crazy thing is, I haven't started packing and we move June 27th!!!! EEEK!!! Anyone care to come help?

But you can just call us

Bungalow Bunnies ;)

*PS: this is the banner to someone's blog, but I just couldn't resist. It's perfect

Oh, to be a girl...

2009-05-27T04:49:00.000-07:00

So I would say that I've been running on fumes for quite awhile as of late. Never being able to get to bed before 11 or 12 most nights, eating horribly, and just seemingly in a daze most days. When I get in a rut I find it very hard to find that jump start that will kick me back into some normalcy. I was hoping this weekend away, up to Fishing Creek (TWF's family cabin in the middle of nowhere Pennsylvania.... about 9 hours away.... yes, we drove), would be my ticket to snap back into it. But I think a night of drinking (celebrating Pav's going away), and a 9 hour car ride in the backseat wrecked me before the weekend even started. I had such a low headache, in my neck, and I couldn't get rid of it for the life of me. The beds were old, I didn't have my pillow, we all sleep in one room and I'm an infamous light sleeper and let me tell you what... BOYS SNORE. We get back late Monday night, I realize once I'm in bed I have to finish my homework for class the next day, have a LONG day, staff meeting and all, at school, then drive to class in pouring down rain. I walk into class and for some reason 2 of my classmates were talking about me so I walk in and they literally stop talking. It was nothing bad, just chitchatting and I came up for some reason. But they were like we were just talking about you! How are you?! How was your trip?!. And before I could even respond, I felt my eyes tearing up. WTF!! I was fine, I'm fine, we're all fine. But the look on Jo and A's face just wrecked me. (and NO, it's NOT that time of the month). Jo, who could be one of the sweetest ladies and would help everyone do anything, just stands up, walks over, and gives me a big hug. I gave a few big sobs, held onto the hug, and realized how badly I needed that. Someone, without prompting, no obligation, no nothing, simply just thinking about me and asking how I am and then giving me a hug. It just hit me big time. I was no longer worried about our midterm, the homework that I had thrown together at 11pm the night before, the drive back in the rain, my lack of a summer job, I just needed a hug. I'm tearing up now just thinking about it! Some that know me say I can be melodramatic, but I guess that's just me. And to know, that someone, Jo, who has known me for only a few short months on a very limited basis, didn't judge, and just hugged and I didn't feel stupid or silly for just letting it out. Perhaps it's time to go to bed super early for a few nights, but I can't tell you how much I didn't know I needed that hug last night.

So on that note, I'm waiting for the kids to start walking in and start our Wednesday. I'm helping out with some testing again this week. Poor kids already took the damn EOG's, but these are makeups. UGH.. But only 11 more days of school left. I can not believe it.

ANYONE IN RALEIGH HAVE A FANTASTIC (OR EVEN JUST OK) SUMMER JOB FOR ME?!?!

2009-05-17T13:22:00.000-07:00

I'm getting too old for this:

and

followed by

and this

at

so I am doing this

and watching this

Not so SURE!

2009-04-21T16:14:00.000-07:00

So the season is fully here for me to worry about how SURE! I am. The past year or so, I have sadly realized that not every deoderant works for me. I have tried:

and frankly none of them are working anymore. They don't keep me dry, not very fresh if ya know what I mean, and that's just not gonna cut it. I spend 3o minutes at least outside, from 1:00 to 1:30pm every afternoon during recess, and well, you know here in Raleigh what it can be like. I currently have the Dove Cool Cucumber and I just do not like the way it smells after being put to the test. I can reapply before and after, and BLEH! I need something that will help me through this time of need!! Help me?? What have you used that doesn't cost an arm and a leg? It's not so much the antiperspirant that I need, if you catch my drift. PS; my favorite part of the commercial.. 3 words.. Statue... of... Liberty.

AND I really will need it Saturday at:

Was this just a little TMI??? Too much information??

in love....

2009-04-19T13:06:00.000-07:00

yes, yes, I am in love... with yesterday. I can not tell you the last time I had such a truly enjoyable, low key, wonderful time. I had never been out to Koka Booth, and let me tell you, I will be going back. The company was amazing. I had friends from school and non-school and everyone got along great. I wish we had taken more (nice) pictures, but I don't need them to remember!! Today however I am paying for a day of wine drinking, for I sadly do not bounce back like I used to. Or perhaps it is the Mint Julep that Jr. and I insisted on having when we got to III's house at about 830pm last night. Needless to say, bourbon was a poor choice....

In love and happy summer is almost here!!!!!!!

A lovely weekend ahead...

2009-04-17T14:38:00.001-07:00

This weekend I am excited. This evening, I am doing nothing. I am staring at the Hungry Howie's website (mmmm mmmmmm good) because the last thing I want to do right now is stand long enough to cook something (I'm currently lying down on my bed). I am looking forward to getting the energy to go back downstairs and either browsing the DVR or popping in a movie. I will pprrrrobbably do some laundry, and will go to bed SUPER early. I had a great week, just a lot going on and I need some good old shuteye because TOMORROW.....

I'm heading with a few friends (Junior, Dr. D, and his lady friend) to a teacher friends house down by Koka Booth for a cookout before moving on to the wine!!!!! SO PUMPED. And just look at the forecast; could it be any better...

Sunny
High
81°F
Precip
0%

Tata for now, I'll do a recap on Sunday!!

A beautiful day...

2009-04-12T16:01:00.001-07:00

I went back up to Virginia to the rents for the Easter weekend. On Saturday, Mama T, VLK, and I went Winery Hopping!! SOoooo much fun. When I have a bit more time I'll put up the links to where we went and tell you all about it. Thoroughly enjoyed myself.

On my drive back down, thanks to a radio station that only plays beach music Sunday afternoons, I was thoroughly enjoying the peace and quiet of the 4 hours I had to myself. With about 2.5 hours still left on my drive, I see a car coming up in the other lane. The person in the passenger seat seems to be waving.. or something. As we get closer, I realize that is exactly what that person, or child was doing. With a big old smile on her face, looking right at me, a complete stranger was waving to me. For a split second I thought perhaps my car is on fire, do I have a flat, am I dragging something.... then as we were about to pass, I realized, she was simply waving. At the last second, I shot my hand up and waved back with a big smile on my face. For the next mile, thank you Rt. 15, I didn't pass a single vehicle, but I couldn't get the smile off of my face. Finally, I saw a car coming... and I waved

Happy Easter

Hot couple alert!!

2009-04-08T06:24:00.000-07:00

YAY!! Welcome these two fabulous new (sorta) North Carolina residents!!

How hot are they ;-)

Anyway, I get the pleasure to steal Diana for the day before she heads back to yankee land to visit her family for a week. I'm taking her here:

Where they do this:

I can't wait to throw her fully into The South.

PS: It's "spring break"!!!! Yep, all 3 days of it. Thank you WCPSS for not having any extra days in the calendar and when we have snow make up days you take our spring break. I love you too.

I have pics from the races last weekend, but that will have to be tomorrow morning as I lay in bed past 8am in my PJs. I love vacation :)

Something to make you smile

2009-04-05T15:37:00.000-07:00

RECAP

2009-03-30T14:19:00.000-07:00

Sorry for being MIA. I have been super crazy busy with school work. Working full time and taking classes two nights a week; just need some time to get used to it. So here is a little of what I've been up to, and what is to come!

Went to Charleston!!!
We want to go backWe love us some South Carolina!Had a grrrreat time

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
This upcoming weekend, Pav, R&WP, III, TWF, W&I (hmm, they need names), and I are all heading up to good ole Virginia for the Old Dominion Hunt Races. This is a point-to-point just down the (country) road from my parents home. It's just like the big ones like The Derby, Preakness, etc etc, except super low key, out in the boone docks, and not such much dresses with big hats, but more the preppy horse-country attire. BUT, on the warmer days, it's hard to resist a good dress and hat.. ya know ;)

I haven't made it in 2 years, and the last time we went it was SUPER cold and raining the entire day. So what did we do... drink more and add layers.
TWF, Aussie, Bahr, ME, The (Future) Seivers, Shnookums, The LBS

Me and Papa.. He NEVEERR wears baseball caps, but I told him he would look adorable; don't you think?! And I'm wearing TWF's (long lost) cowboy hat

So I'm super excited to be heading up there with a wonderful group of people. Any suggestions for what to wear??? The above outfit was my JCrew Navy with green whales wellies, knee length khaki skirt, brown turtleneck sweater, puffy vest, green with navy (and ducks) lined rain coat. The weather looks promising. Potential showers the day before, but SUN and a high of 64 for Saturday. I always over think this. What is a springy, yet not too springy, skin-baring kind of outfit. I need an inspiration!

I was thinking this: My dress is navy, with sleeves.. but this is sorta similar...

and perhaps these:

Thoughts?

help a sister out :)

2009-03-24T19:51:00.000-07:00

One of my bestests and her fiance are in the top ten finalists in a best of Northern Virginia Engagement Stories, sponsored by Northern Virginia Magazine. They have until Friday, 3/27 at 5pm to get as many votes as we can! The prize is $2,000 in wedding services from some great local vendors including the Ritz and a local (and very preppy!) stationary and wedding planning company. $2,000 might not sound like a lot, but it's about 10% of their budget and it would be an AMAZING boost!

SO GO VOTE!!!

VOTE for Victoria and Todd!!
http://www.northernvirginiamag.com/engagement-survey/submit/

Heading south.....

2009-03-05T19:50:00.000-08:00

A little extra southern comfort this weekend.....

Off to Charleston with Peaches to find us some true Southern Gentlemen...

Any MUST go-to places to visit while there on this beautiful weekend??!!?!?!?! LET ME KNOW!!

Thank you EHS!

2009-03-01T15:24:00.000-08:00

The BBC believes most people will have only read 6 of the 100 books here. Can you believe it! I would just like to thank The High School for providing me (ahem, making me) the time (or lack there of) to read many of these fine books below. Though I was hoping to have read half of them, I came close, and have read 43, seen a few movies, and have a couple on a list of "one day" to read. I'm not sure where this list is from, what's the criteria?! I bet I could find a list where I read all the books, but I like this list. Has a bit of everything. Though having multiple Jane Austen books put the numbers in my favor, I'm a sucker. :)

I have two favorite books. One, however, is not on this list. The Horse Whisper, by Nicholas Evans. My grandmother was a member of this book club, kind of like those CD programs, where you rip off the particular stamps, send them in, and you get those 12 cds for 1 cent each, and 2 at the regular price. OH, what was that called. CBG, BCG, CBS, BB&T, oh I don't know. Anyway, she would quickly read her books, and when I got old enough or she felt it appropriate, I would read them next! I was such a little dork and even faked needing glasses in 1st grade because I felt they would make me a better reader. They were pink, naturally. When I read this book, I fell in love with it. I could read it over and over and over again. I was super excited when back in the day, Robert Redford was making the film version. Hmm, Robert Redford plus favorite book, HAS to be a winner. Alas, I was pretty let down and he changed the plot line. A cute movie, but nothing like the book.

My other favorite book... well let's see if you can guess. It's been number 1 and 25. It should be pretty obvious.......

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen (x)
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien ()
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte ()
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling (x)
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee (x)
6 The Bible - (x)
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte (x)
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell (x)
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman ()
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens ()
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott (x)
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy ()
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller (x)
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare (x - well, a whole hell of a lot of them)
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier (x)
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien ()
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk ( )
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger (x)
19 The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger ()
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot ()
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell (x)
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald (x)
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens ( )
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy ()
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams ()
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh ( )
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky ( )
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck (x)
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll (x)
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame ()
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy ()
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens ()
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis ()
34 Emma - Jane Austen (x)
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen (x)
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis (x)
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini - ()
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres ( I saw the movie!)
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden (x)
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne (x)
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell ()
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown ( x)
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez ()
44 A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving ()
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins ( )
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery ()
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy (x)
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood (x)
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding (x)
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan (x)
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel (x)
52 Dune - Frank Herbert ()
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons ( )
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen ( x)
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth ( )
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zifon ( )
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens (x)
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley ()
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon ()
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez (x)
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck ()
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov ()
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt ( )
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold (x)
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas (x)
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac (x)
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy ()
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding (x)
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie ( )
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville ()
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens ()
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker ()
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett (X)
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson ()
75 Ulysses - James Joyce (x)
76 The Inferno - Dante (x)
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome ( )
78 Germinal - Emile Zola ( )
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray (seen the movie!)
80 Possession - AS Byatt ( )
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens (X)
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell ()
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker (x)
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro ( )
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert ()
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry ( )
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White (x)
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom ()
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ()
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton ( )
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad ()
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery (x)
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks ( )
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams (x)
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole (x)
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute ( )
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas ()
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare (x)
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl (x)
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo (seen the play on broadway!)

Congrats!!!

2009-02-27T08:28:00.001-08:00

Please head on over and congratulate Pav for getting a 100% on her dosage exam!!! WOOHOO!!! She's kinda a big deal!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

We're having a Ladie's Game Night this evening, potentially followed up with going to The Pour House to see Old Habits. YAY for the weekend@

My mother sent me this....

2009-02-25T18:50:00.000-08:00

I'll tell you how my mother and I did after you tell me how you do... I think it's only fair... :)

Test for Dementia
Below are four (4) questions and a bonus question. You have to answer them instantly. You can't take your time, answer all of them immediately . OK?

Let's find out just how clever you really are....
First Question:
You are participating in a race. You overtake the second person. What position are you in?

Answer: If you answered that you are first, then you are
absolutely wrong! If you overtake the second person and you take his place, you are second!

Try not to screw up next time.
Now answer the second question,
but don't take as much time as you took for the first question, OK ?

Second Question:
I f you overtake the last person, then you are...?

Answer: If you answered that you are second to last, then you are wrong again. Tell me, how can you overtake the LAST Person?

You're not very good at this, are you?

Third Question:
V ery tricky arithmetic! Note: This must be done in your head only .
Do NOT use paper and pencil or a calculator. Try it.

Take 1000 and add 40 to it. Now add another 1000 . Now add 30
Add another 1000 . Now add 20 . Now add another 1000
Now add 10 . What is the total?

Did you get 5000 ?

The correct answer is actually 4100.

If you don't believe it, now check it with a calculator!
Today is definitely not your day, is it?
Maybe you'll get the last question right....
.....Maybe.

Fourth Question:

Mary's father has five daughters: 1. Nana, 2. Nene, 3. Nini,
4. Nono. What is the name of the fifth daughter?

Did you Answer Nunu?
NO! Of course it isn't.
Her name is Mary. Read the question again

Okay, now the bonus round:

A mute person goes into a shop and wants to buy a toothbrush. By
imitating the action of brushing his teeth he successfully
expresses himself to the shopkeeper and the purchase is
done.
Next, a blind man comes into the shop who wants to buy a pair of
sunglasses; how does HE indicate what he wants?

He just has to open his mouth and ask...
It's really very simple....

Tuesday Trivia

2009-02-25T04:36:00.001-08:00

Yes, Yes, I know it's Wednesday. Last night, after giving CJ a ride home from school because she and the hubby are down to one car (after his got totaled after an accident driving her to school one morning... see what you get by trying to carpool and be green and rushing... karma), we had a glass of wine. We still had our Mardi Gras beads on from the staff meeting that morning. Our Principal is from New Orleans so every February we can expect to get to choose from some of her many beads. Anyways, to say thanks, CJ invites me in for a glass of wine when the husband calls all excited that he just remembered what day it was, and that we should go out for a proper drink. Now money is tight this week (we get payed on Friday!!), so I've been trying to be good and not drinking too much and staying away from smokey bars, when the husband says he'll treat if I go. WELL OKAY, if you insist. We end up picking a local bar that is right in between me and CJ's house, so I can just scoot on home after a couple beers (shhhh, I KNOW). When we get there, LO AND BEHOLD, it's trivia night. Another teacher friend was meeting us (phew, no longer 3rd wheel... atleast I'm used to it with CJ and husband, sometimes I feel like the little sister.. weird?). We were so taken aback, we were not prepared with a good name like all the other teams had, so we quickly just wrote down our school's mascot and turned it in. For a Kindergarten teacher, a 1st grade teacher, a special ed teacher, and an attorney, I was proud of us. There were some very obscure questions, and the husband bailed us out big time on some of the sports questions. Sadly, the team "Those girls would be a lot hotter if they weren't smoking" pulled ahead in the bonus round. I won't say we did great, but we were upper middle pack. Next time, and there will be a next time, the Wizards will be more prepared.

and this evening, I'm so excited to FINALLY be having my happy hour date with R&WP, Barefoot, and WIDD. Lord helps us to find a date the 4 of us could get together for half priced appetizers and drinks at The Bar. But we finally did it, and wooohoo!!!

Trying to figure out which of the below items I'll be checking off next...

2009-02-22T18:55:00.000-08:00

Things you have done during your lifetime..
( x) Gone on a blind date
(x ) Skipped school
( ) Watched someone die
( ) Washed, groomed and dressed someone after they died.
( ) Been to Canada
(x ) Been to Mexico
(x) Been to Florida
( ) Been to Hawaii
(x) Been on a plane
( ) Been on a helicopter
(x) Been lost
(x) Gone to Washington, DC
(x) Swam in the ocean
(x) Cried yourself to sleep
(x) Played cops and robbers
(x ) Recently colored with crayons
( ) Sang Karaoke
(x) Paid for a meal with coins only
( ) Been to the top of the St. Louis Arch
(x) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't.
( x) Made prank phone calls
() Been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans
(x) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
(x) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
(x ) Danced in the rain-naked
(X ) Written a letter to Santa Claus
(x) Been kissed under the mistletoe
(x) Watched the sunrise with someone
(x) Blown bubbles
(x) Gone ice-skating
(x) Gone to the movies
(x) Been deep sea fishing
( ) Driven across the United States
( ) Been in a hot air balloon
( ) Been sky diving
( ) Been bungee jumping
(x) Lay down outside at night and admired the stars while listening to the crickets
(x) Seen a falling star and made a wish
( ) Enjoyed the beauty of Old Faithful Geyser
(x ) Seen the Statue of Liberty
( ) Gone to the top of Seattle Space Needle
( ) Been on a cruise
(X) Traveled by train
(x) Been horse back riding
( x) Ridden on a San Francisco CABLE CAR
( ) Been to Disneyland OR Disney World
(x) Truly believe in the power of prayer
(x ) Been in a rain forest
( ) Seen whales in the ocean
( ) Been to Niagara Falls
( ) Been to the Olympics
( ) Walked on the Great Wall of China
( ) Saw and heard a glacier calf
( ) Been spinnaker flying
(x) Been water-skiing
(x ) Been snow-skiing
(x) Been to Westminster Abbey
(x ) Been to the Louvre
( x) Swam in the Mediterranean
(x ) Been to a Major League Baseball game
(x) Been to a National Football League game
( ) Been to Las Vegas
( x) Been snorkeling in any ocean
(x) Been naked or topless on a beach

A moment in the day of the life of me

2009-02-17T19:49:00.000-08:00

Azaria (female kindergarten student): Ms. T, do you like black babies or white babies better?
Me: Well, sweetheart, I love all babies, no difference.
Azaria: So you'd rather have a black baby than a white baby?
Me: I'd be blessed to have any healthy baby.
Azaria: Well, my sissy is gonna have a baby and momma said we got to get rid of it, so if you want it I'll let momma know...... (wide-eyed staring at me obviously waiting for a response)
Me: I'm not ready for children yet, but thank you for thinking of me.
Azaria: But aint you 26? That's old Ms. T! My momma is only 24 and she has 3 kids! You need to find a man that will give you a baby, that's a woman's job is to have the babies. Can you not find a man, is that the problem Ms. T? (again, with the wide-eyed staring)
Me: (Lord help me, please set off the fire-alarm, make a child vomit near me, something). Azaria, it's not appropriate to talk about me having babies. Let's get back to work.
...........
As I'm walking away, barely 5 feet away, I over hear my new favorite friend whisper to her neighbor....
Azaria: We needs to finds Ms T a man so he can give her the sex and she can have the baby.

Seriously, if she and my mother were put in a room together, things would happen. But for now, I'd like to (be legally allowed t0) stick one of the below items into this beautiful child's mouth.....

Happy Birthday to me!!!

2009-02-13T10:00:00.001-08:00

Hooray!!! Have had a wonderful day so far. Field trip to the kids museum this morning. "Rest time" right now. Teacher/school party right after the bell rings at a bar downtown. Then a birthday party for ME tonight followed by friends at The P. What a wonderful day planned.

Thanks for all the well wishes, and looking forward to seeing some of y'all tonight!!

xoxo,

M&J

It's my party and I'll....

2009-02-09T13:27:00.000-08:00

shop if I want to.

I need a new party dress/outfit for my birthday this weekend! Friday the 13th is the big day! I love love love my birthday, but have the bad habit of building it up into my head, and when it comes down to it, it's just another day. BUT I've decided, since Pav is throwing a little par-tay for me before we hit up The P, I want a fun new thing to wear. I'm off to Marshalls, TJMaxx, Ross, etc etc to hopefully find THE perfect dress. Wish me luck!!

I'm thinking something along these lines.... what do you think??

READ ALL ABOUT IT!!!!

2009-02-06T09:14:00.000-08:00

They're baaaaack!!!!

Woohoooooo!!!!

Touche little man, touche

2009-02-03T19:39:00.000-08:00

Well, Mr. Punxsutawny knew what he was doing. This evening, as I am sitting here writing my paper for class, I am embracing the extra time I will have. As it stands, with flurries coming down outside, nothing sticking, we already have a 2 hour delay. Though I would love the day to work on my paper, I don't want the whole day off as we have already lost a day of our spring break. That's just no fun. Especially since there more than likely won't have anything to play with. Atleast give me a snowman if we don't have schoool. But we'll worry about that in the AM.

Again, sorry for the missing in action on my part. I'm trying to start being better by checking and writing at school. I am reading! I just feel so guilty doing anything personal on school computers. My computer is currently somewhere in Texas apparently being worked on. Let's hope that's a good sign???

What a jerk

2009-02-02T08:04:00.000-08:00

What does he know anyway. He's a scared little rodent that runs from his own shadow. Who is he to say there is 6 more weeks of winter.

see no evil, hear no evil.....

2009-01-28T06:06:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm certainly not speaking any evil either.....

When I was a little kid, I used to think it was so cool when people lost their voice. It just seems like such a funny thing to happen to people. Well let me tell you what Little M&J, it is NOT cool. I am currently suffering from something, and my voice is pretty much gone all day, though it gets a little better in waves. All around though, it hurts to talk. I'm just hoping this doesn't turn into anything. I've been SO healthy lately, a solid month and a half without a sniffle or anything. It's been fantastic. I guess the good can only help so long. So I've been sucking down tea with honey, gargling with salt water (GROSS) and wondering how long this is going to last. I guess some people might find this funny, school teacher, love to talk, adore the phone.... I do not find it funny or cool at all..... pout.

no computer

2009-01-23T09:08:00.000-08:00

I MISS YOU!! I am reading when I can, but I do apologize for lack or response or posting myself!! I feel so out of the loop and left out. Things have been crazy busy; snow days, classes, homework, papers, projects, EEEK!!

PS: I've discovered that I completely suck at dating, or not dating, or whatever it is you're supposed to do. Or I'ms till working on finding that right guy, I guess....... one day

As of yesterday....

2009-01-15T07:36:00.000-08:00

"Back to school! Back to school, to prove to Dad that I'm not a fool! I got my lunch packed up, my boots tied tight, I hope I don't get in a fight! Ohhhh, back to school! Back to school! Back to school! Well, here goes nothing!" (name that movie... :)

FORGET the fact that I already took this class at FREAKING William and Mary BUT WHATEVER!! Apparently Wesleyan thinks very highly of themselves and "it's not quite the same thing". UGH

But I'm off to start back up classes to finish up my license (yes, minor detail). I've been living in this nice little bubble, loop hole, whatever you want to call it, but if I want to get my real act together, start a masters program, even think about National Boards.... gotta get these couple classes out of the way.

All I'm saying, is we better get out on time, if not early, because I really want to go to Old Habits tonight....

The Glory Days

2009-01-12T12:53:00.000-08:00

I have a wonderful group of friends who tell stories over and over again. Among us, they never seem to get old, and believe it or not, stay relatively true to the reality. I used to laugh whenever we'd get into story telling mode, but it makes me realize how much we love being together and cherish the memories we have made. If you never had stories to tell, then what have you been doing with your life???

Last night, a friend from college came into town, JPB and TWF (White Oak boys), and WIDD and R&WP met up at our Sunday night stomping ground, The Goat. I believe I've talked of this fine establishment before, but if you don't remember, let me refresh your memory. Every Sunday evening, they have Dollar Mystery Beer. Summed up, you walk up to the bar, hand the man a dollar, and he reaches into a large trash can full of ice and random beers, and grabs whatever is on top. It's fantastic. With the Carolina/Wake game on, it was a rowdy night, full of the typical random collection of people, and we were all huddled around our table just shooting the breeze. Not that you don't want to live in the present and appreciate all you have at the moment, but looking back at the good times, makes you appreciate where you are now! So I loved sitting around, getting Goat faced at the shit bar, with good friends, old, kinda old, and new..... A wonderful way to start off the week...

AND to top it all off, TWF's father came into town late night. Now Mr F is a wonderful man, and I would consider him my second father. Mrs F is my godmother and they are a wonderful family and have been a huge part of my life and it made me so unbelievable happy to see him. We normally see each other over the holidays, but timing never worked, and so I hadn't seen Mr F since this summer? Goodness, I can't even remember! So after a few beers, staying up pretty late for a Sunday, and sharing a bed (don't cuddle well with the ladies... good thing I like the man folk :), I'm a little tired this afternoon. But the sun is shining, it was a wonderful weekend, and it's going to be a great week.

I hope Mr F stays in town tonight so we can hang out some more!! Makes me miss my Papa though.... His birthday is coming up. Any suggestions for a good daddy birthday gift?

First day back

2009-01-05T13:06:00.001-08:00

Welcome welcome back, to me and anyone who reads. Since Thanksgiving you can definitely say my writing has been piss poor. Forgive the language. At the current moment, my computer is taking what I like to call a "leave of absence". So now I get home at the end of the day and kinda wander around my house wondering what people did before Internet. So I go and watch TV. It's a sad life I lead sometimes..... BUT, hopefully after a little trip to Best Buy (thank God I got the 3 year warranty), I can have a computer again in the foreseeable future.

Christmas was wonderful in Virginia. New years was a blast at the beach. And if I had my own computer and wasn't sneaking around on school computers, I would post pictures and probably write a whole lot more! But alas....

As far as the boy front... I don't have the energy. Let's just say, I feel like I'm falling into the same thing again. I'm trying to be patient, not jump to conclusions, just go with the flow. But for those that know me, I'm not so good at that. Long story short, sweetest, cutest, romantic 24 hours spent together, in what is essentially a 1-night-stand. But then a week later we meet up at The P and hang out all night and I even get a fantastic kiss good night. Then texting back and forth over Christmas, and then the trip to the beach with everyone (awful, awkward, but so much fun). It's not that I want a RELATIONSHIP right now, it would just be nice to know if whatever it is that we're doing might actually be going anywhere. But asking or hinting or implying anything along those lines would not be going with the flow now would it.....???? UGH!! I'm not sure what to call him, or if it's even worth coming up with a name. So I'll let it be for now and if I have reason to write about him again, I"ll think of something. FB (Fun Bobby) did call me over break, as well as a few texts, saying we should go out again sometime "just for fun". Not entirely sure what that means, but I'm always up for a little fun :)

Below is the house we stayed in at the beach. At most there were 14 of us, and at the least (for 2 whole days) only 5 of us. Not too shabby, eh??

XOXOXO to you all!!!

2008-12-31T11:34:00.000-08:00

Curl up and snuggle....

2008-12-18T15:18:00.000-08:00

That's really all I want to do tonight, but I have quite a few things on my to-do list. But let me set the scene for you. I am sitting on my bed, computer on lap, '2 Weeks Notice' playing on the tv, and Tanner (the cat) curled up across my legs. MUST GET UP!!! I will I will, right after I finish this post :)

AND this is a milestone for me. Because of my many a hiatus, I am just now reaching my 100th post. I contemplated doing all the tags I have yet to acknowledge, do 100 things about me, only write 100 words, and a few other possibilities. But that seems like so much pressure. Yes, it's a milestone, but I can do all those things another time. Right now, I just wanted to say hello, I haven't forgotten about you, and say Merry Christmas. Tomorrow is the last day of Kindergarten before winter break (a whole 2 weeks!!!!!) and I am so ready for it. There is a lot going on over the next 2 weeks so I feel like I'll have a lot to be (potentially) updating you on.

But for now, I'm going to turn up "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" (with Jenny from Gossip Girl as Cindy Lou Who), and get to town on organizing my closet; or cleaning my bathroom; or doing laundry; or wrapping my kiddies presents; or vacuuming; or painting my nails; or .... nah, I'll probably just watch the Grinch...

Once I upload my pictures, I can't wait to show you what I made for my kids this year! It took all of the past 2 weeks and about 5 hours last night, BUT I'm so happy with the turn out... You'll just have to wait and see!!!

Bless MY heart.....

2008-12-15T04:25:00.000-08:00

Lordy lord chile... I must have won the worst blogger award. When it is December 15th and your last post was about Thanksgiving. Bad MJ, bad. So here I am, probably going to be late to school because I just couldn't not write something. It has been eating at me and to be honest I haven't even done a good job at keeping up reading everyone elses!! I know I have been tagged by quite a few people, so don't worry. I know who you all are, and what my jobs are, they will get done.

Updates:

FANTASTIC WEEKEND.... Wonderful amazing roller coaster in the end perfect weekend. Let me put it this way. I cried, I laughed, I danced, I drank, and though I'm still utterly exhausted, I can't stop smiling.

My baby bro got into Hampden-Sydney early decision!! Woop Woop.. He is doing his job of continuing the preppy frat-tastic level of my family. I'm so proud of him and he is super excited which makes it all that much better.

I haven't been all that great at the no nails biting thing. But yesterday (aka: best day ever) I didn't bite my nails once. It's a nervous habit, and well, I guess I wasn't nervous about anything yesterday and I just had no desire to. This could be the beginning of something wonderful. GO ME!

5 days left of school until Chirstmas Vacation!!!

Kiki is coming to visit me this weekend!! She was my senior year roommate in the Tri Delta house and is getting married next October! I'm so excited. She is such a wonderful person, friend, everything and I can't wait to have her in Raleigh once again. We have some great Christmas parties lined up to attend, some wedding stuff to talk about, and God and time willing, some snuggling in bed watching some romantic comedy just like the old days :)

AND NOW I AM OFFICIALLY LATE FOR SCHOOL.. Happy Monday ladies (and gents?).

Gobble Gobble Gobble

2008-11-26T04:24:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Heading home to good ole Culpeper, Virginia. I love home. I miss it dearly sometimes. But that's why it is so great to visit!!!!!!!

advice, help, tricks of the trade?

2008-11-23T18:58:00.000-08:00

How do I stop biting my nails?

This is a bad habit that I have been fighting for over 20 years here people. It is a nervous habit. I do it when stressed, upset, over tired, etc etc..... welcome to my world. There is a picture of me, playing soccer (back in the day when we probably still swarmed the ball the entire length of the field), 5 or 6 years old, mid-game, biting my nails. I have tried just about everything in the past. I am ready to give it another go. I want nails by Christmas. I have a month. HELP!

Somebody's getting married!!!!

2008-11-19T20:01:00.000-08:00

and well, we all know it sure isn't me!!!

Congratulations Laurel!!!!! xoxoxoxoxoxoxxoxo

Germany, Hard Rock Cafe, Spring 2004 (me=1, laurel=3 from left)

The last day of classes, Spring '05

Graduation, '05 (Laurel=2 from left)Kelley's Rehearsal, Spring '06 Wrightsville Beach, Summer '06

Raleigh, Winter '06/'07Ro's Wedding, Williamsburg, Summer '08

2 Officially down.... 1 now on it's way... 5ish to go!!!!

It done did it!!!

2008-11-18T14:49:00.000-08:00

It snowed it snowed it snowed.. And I am proud to say that I was just as excited as my Kindergarteners. We saw flurries in the morning, then out during recess, then while visiting the Book Fair (didn't you just LOVE the book fair?? they're still awesome) it was like a blizzard outside!!! Then it did it again about 45 minutes later!! Go Raleigh!!!! We quickly realized we needed to go back to our weather graph and change it from 'dry' to 'snowy'. Because as Yogi put it, "Mrs. Tholand, we have to change it. This could be our only chance!" If you only knew this child, and the urgency with which he said it, you would know why i JUST HAD to change it.