Right now...

...I am tired.
...I want to look up the Zen habits webpage.
...I am frustrated.
...I wish ALL of my grading was done.
...I can't remember the last time I scrapbooked.
...I think people's drama is funny...and irritating.
...I am trying to remember why I wanted to do this job.
...I am trying to not let other people's personal stuff make me hate my job.
...I am eating Peanut Butter M&M's :-)
...I am texting a friend who is getting married next weekend.
...I am drinking a coke from McDonald's.
...I am contemplating why my school blog never gets updated.
...I am wondering if I'll ever be one of those teachers who gets to come home before 5:30 each night.
...I am listening to Sean's music from the office.
...I am lamenting my woefully behind "Project 365" idea...ugh :-)
...I am watching Judge Judy :-)

Stop me if you've heard this one before...

What do you get when you cross a recent trip to your childhood camp, the movie Public Enemies you just watched last night, and an overactive imagination?

I've always had an insanely vivid and unique dream life. I remember once in high school I had this dream that was so good that I willed myself to fall back to sleep against the shower wall to finish it before school started. I won't bore you with the details...but suffice it to say that it involved Kevin Costner, me babysitting his kids, a red jeep, and Scooby Doo. Seriously. :-)

I also remember one where the band room turned into the deck of a cruise ship...I know what you're thinking...how soon can you end this friendship you have with a seriously deranged individual.

So, today I found myself in such a fitful sleep in the early morning due to one crazy dream. I can't quite piece it all together but I was at some sort of campy-lodge-in-the-woods type of thing with a friend of mine. I think I was at least college age. There were four single beds in the great room...and later two more people joined us. Turns out I and one of the other people who joined us were secret FBI agents sent to quash whatever the nefarious doings were of our companions. Oh...man it was creepy...we had secret vehicle agreements with Tom Denchel Ford...there were secret documents I had to sleep with so he wouldn't see them. At one point there were dark and shadowy happenings in the middle of the night between the back door and the great room. Seriously...now that I re-read it I must be NUTS!

It was the type of dream where it kept waking me up but then I'd fall back to sleep so I could continue it. I can't even really remember how it ended. I don't think I as an agent was successful...but I do remember there being some resolution. Weird...

Blessing

Today's sermon was about being a blessing. Am I a blessing? I mean...I know in the grand scheme of things that yes I am a blessing. At least I think my mom thought so...so it must be. The greater question this morning was how can you be a blessing to others in your everyday?

When I get frustrated at the McDonald's drive thru gal because I have to repeat my simple order more than once...sometimes more than twice...I am not a blessing to her.

When I punch it on the freeway because I'm impatient...I am not a blessing to the cars around me.

When I sleep in and have to rush out the door thereby not have time to wash the dishes...I am not a blessing to Sean.

I know that there are lots of ways every day that I do things for the people around me that are a blessing to them...this isn't some super existential crisis I'm having...just a wonderment about the ways we all can be blessings to those around us.

It's worth thinking about I think...

Right now...

My right now...
*woke up shortly after 6 AM?...couldn't sleep :-)
*drinking coffee with Parisian Almond Cream Coffeemate
*eating vanilla yogurt and granola
*wearing brown sport capris and my two-tone orange tank with black crocs
*contemplating driving to Tri Cities to get a few things
*anxious to get the closet finished
*watching Family Guy
*found the 1957 classic Pollyanna on AMC this morning!
*still have my blue and white bracelet from VBS...it is supposed to remind me that God wants to be part of my whole life...not just little bits.

Ocean Vacation 2009

This is a small collection of the photos from our most recent holiday to the coast. Ahh...just thinking of it puts me in a more relaxed mood. If you're on Facebook these will look familiar.

My favorite color

My favorite color is pink or blue...I guess my wedding colors...pink and navy. Plus those colors go well with most other colors...blue and red, pink and chocolate, blue and chocolate, pink and green, pink and red, pink and black...many many combinations that look cute together.

My favorite color is definitely not green...even though my house is green (not my choice) and my living room is green (my choice after seeing Nicole's living room :-)). However; green has become a charged word lately. Are you green? Are you not green? If you are green does that mean you support a certain political ideology? If you are not green does that mean you support the opposite political ideology? It's frustrating for me. Why can't I strive to be greener without making some deep personal statement about myself? Why does my choice to be greener make someone's opinion of me change...in either direction?

So...here I am saying it...I try to be green. I do. Am I the greenest? Do I even strive to be the greenest? Not even close. But I like that my simple choices may make a difference in our household and maybe even in my community.

Here are some of my green choices:
*I purchased Toms Shoes...they're cute boots and they use renewable resources AND they donate shoes to shoeless children around the world.
*I use re-usable grocery sacks and produce bags...it's been difficult to always remember but I've gotten really good at grabbing those bags on my way out the door. (It also helps that I have an insatiable love of all manner of bags and purses)
*I use reusable coffee mugs...even for my iced drinks! Again, I'm getting better at remembering to bring them with me.
*I use a re-usable water bottle...mostly because it's cute and pink :-)
*I'm having a yard sale (WHICH I HATE TO DO) in an effort to not throw away my old fridge and stove.

Here's a link I found to help out too. Again, will I do everything listed on this site? I can guarantee "no". But, even the idea of not topping off my gas tank is something little I can do.

www.greenissexy.org

But...my favorite color is still pink!

Age

At what point do you need to continually need to write things down to avoid forgetting? I've always been a HUGE fan of "To Do" lists...it can be such an easy way to feel accomplished. My brother would even go so far as to write things on his To Do list like "Take Shower" or "Eat Breakfast" just to make sure that at least some things could be crossed off the list.

But it seems lately that I will absolutely, positively, without a doubt, in no way shape or form remember the things I need to do or shop for unless it is written down on a list.

Sure enough...I went to Target (my fave store) and WalMart today with Nicole and TOTALLY relied on my list. But the other cool thing is I'm getting better at not going off my list...especially if it's an extensive list that I need to consult multiple times. Yay me :-)

My Right Now...

Right now...
*I'm watching a CSI episode from this winter that we've had TiVo'ed for a while
*I'm doing some online People to People work
*I'm sitting on the couch with Sean and Sommer...we hardly ever do that anymore
*I'm thinking of what needs to be on my shopping list...for the house...and for Australia
*I'm still feeling like I have "Nap Eyes"...you know how it feels when you've woken up from a late afternoon nap
*I'm wearing my green Creation shirt and my gray shorts and my black Crocs
*I have a pink sheet on the couch to protect it from dog hair
*Sommer is on the couch, Roxy is on the dog bed, and Cleo is barking outside
*The 409 is still on the entertainment center from when I cleaned off the TV tray for my laptop
*my suitcase is 30% packed for Australia
*It's at the borderline of almost too dark in the living room as the sun goes down and not quite dark enough for the lights to be turned on
*I'm hoping Sean will want to watch another episode of some TiVo show...so that even though we're not having a deep conversation and even though I'm multi-tasking we can still have some time together :-)

Happiness is...

...my friend Nicole asking for help on her blog...which in turn gave me the renewed gumption to attack my own long abandoned blog.

...my friend Amanda who made a fantastic tribute to her dad on her blog...which in turn gave me inspiration for the bulk of this post.

...my "word of the year" RELEASE...which in turn has given me the freedom to NOT FEEL BAD THAT I'VE NOT BLOGGED SINCE EASTER! :-)

I Wonder

...what his voice sounded like
...if he barbecued on this day
...what he loved for dinner
...if he ever cracked up in church with her the way I did with Sean today
...if we would've done father/daughter dates
...if he would've liked Sean as much as she did
...if he'd be retired by now
...what our house would've looked like
...if I'd have visited Minnesota by now
...how much hair he would have
...if he was the New Tie on Father's Day type of guy or the Power Tool on Father's Day type of guy

Every Morning is Easter Morning...

...from now on!
Ev'ry day's resurrection day, the past is over and gone!

Good-bye guilt, good-bye fear, good riddance! Hello, Lord, Hello, sun!
I am one of the Easter People! My new life has begun!

Ev'ry morning is Easter morning from now on!
Ev'ry day's resurrection day, the past is over and gone!

Daily news is so bad it seems the Good News seldom gets heard.
Get it straight from the Easter People! God's in charge spread the word!

Ev'ry morning is Easter morning from now on!
Ev'ry day's resurrection day, the past is over and gone!

Yesterday I was bored and lonely; But today look and see!
I belong to the Easter People! Life's exciting to me!

This SO takes me back to when I was a kid in church. That was before churches had contemporary music and this song came from a camp songbook. We felt so rockin' by singng this folk-music song :-)

There's another one buried down deep somewhere in the recesses of my mind...I'll find it one day :-)

Happiness is...

not passing out during the 400 calorie workout on your treadmill! :-)

Now...let's hope that Happiness continues as I try to start my computer that mysteriously shut off.

Daily Plan

I have a plan...(not as poetic as *dream* I know)...a plan to sit on my back deck and read a book not because I have to but because I can. I have a plan...a plan to finish Angels and Demons before the May 15th release of the movie not because I have to but because I think it makes me look more intellectual. I have a plan...a plan to while away my free afternoons doing whatever the heck I want to not because I have to but because I have zero meetings anymore! I have a plan...a plan to ease into the evening bathed in the smooth light of my new torch candle not because I have to but because manufacturers have devised a way to set the mood AND ward off mosquitoes.

Here's the before and after on my way to my plan...

Chairs waiting to be put together...thanks Honey!

My new candle...just waiting for me :-)

Daily Flashback

Back in the day Sarah and I used to watch this VHS videotape that she had. I'm sure her parents picked it up somewhere but I have no idea where. It was called "Hi Tops" and it was a Christian themed musical. It had something to do with some angels being sent to a high school to pose as students...learning and teaching along the way. It was so hokey it was awesome! I don't even want to know how many times we watched and re-watched that tape. But suffice it to say that with my love of Jesus and my obsession with musicals I borrowed that tape a lot...and had the lyrics memorized in no time! I even had SOME dialog memorized...I'm proud/chagrined to admit :-)

So...a year ago or so I looked for the video online and found a reference to it but learned it was no longer in print. So, I looked for it today and there on Christianbook.com...wait for it...the remastered DVD version of my Holy Grail. Do you even have to ask...I ordered it on the spot...but I did restrain myself from opting for Priority Mail. So, it should be here in week or two. I can't wait to see if I remember all the words still. Ooohhh...and I can't wait to bring it down to Sarah's house and watch it with her again...sometime :-)

All I Ever Needed to Know...

I learned from Wicked: The Musical!

My girlfriends and I had the ultimate Girls' Weekend! We drove to Portland on Friday night, did some shoppin' and eatin' Saturday morning, and then went to Keller Auditorium to see the Broadway Across America production of Wicked: The Musical. I SO missed my calling...aside from the fact that I can't carry a tune in a bucket I was born for the stage :-) I have not stopped listening to the soundtrack since December. And since I don't have the long drive to work anymore I've even taken to randomly driving around town just so I can belt out the showtunes at the top of my lungs all by my lonesome. So...indulge me if you will :-)



"Dear Old Shiz"
O hallowed halls and vine-draped walls
The proudliest sight there is
When grey and sere our hair hath turned
We shall still revere the lessons learned
In our days at dear old Shiz
**remember your past with fondness and take the lessons learned with you

"The Wizard and I" (a personal favorite of mine)
Did that really just happen?
Have I actually understood?
This weird quirk I've tried
To suppress or hide
Is a talent that could
Help me meet the Wizard
If I make good
**sometimes the one thing that you've counted as a disadvantage is the one thing that makes you so unique and desired to others

"What Is This Feeling?"
Ev'ry little trait, however small
Makes my very flesh begin to crawl
With simple utter loathing
There's a strange exhilaration
In such total detestation
It's so pure and strong!
**be careful about how you let your negative feelings take control over you..because there IS a strange exhilaration to it sometimes.

"Dancing Through Life" (another favorite)
And the strange thing:
Your life could end up changing
While you're dancing
Through!
**there is value in the journey as well as the destination

"Popular"
When I see depressing creatures
With unprepossessing features
I remind them on their own behalf
To think of
Celebrated heads of state or
Specially great communicators
Did they have brains or knowledge?
Don't make me laugh!
They were popular! Please -
It's all about popular!
**C'mon...tell the truth...sometimes you wanna think this is true:-)...sometimes it even seems really true

"I'm Not That Girl"
Don't dream too far
Don't lose sight of who you are
Don't remember that rush of joy
Ev'ry so often we long to steal
To the land of what-might-have-been
But that doesn't soften the ache we feel
When reality sets back in
**Do I need to explain this one?

"One Short Day"
One short day
In the Emerald City
One short day
Full of so much to do
**Don't waste an opportunity

"Defying Gravity" (a SUPER favorite of mine)
Something has changed within me
Something is not the same
I'm through with playing by the rules
Of someone else's game
Too late for second-guessing
Too late to go back to sleep
It's time to trust my instincts
Close my eyes: and leap!

I'm through accepting limits
'Cuz someone says they're so
Some things I cannot change
But till I try, I'll never know!
Too long I've been afraid of
Losing love I guess I've lost
Well, if that's love
It comes at much too high a cost!
I'd sooner buy
Defying gravity
Kiss me goodbye
I'm defying gravity
And you can't pull me down:
**Again, nothing I could say could make it clearer...mmmm...me likey this song!

"Thank Goodness" (quickly becoming another fave!)
That's why I couldn't be happier
No, I couldn't be happier
Though it is, I admit
The tiniest bit
Unlike I anticipated
But I couldn't be happier
Simply couldn't be happier
Well - not "simply":
'Cause getting your dreams
It's strange, but it seems
A little - well - complicated
There's a kind of a sort of : cost
There's a couple of things get: lost
There are bridges you cross
You didn't know you crossed
Until you've crossed
**be careful what you have your heart set on

"As Long As You're Mine"
Kiss me too fiercely
Hold me too tight
I need help believing
You're with me tonight
My wildest dreamings
Could not foresee
Lying beside you
With you wanting me

Just for this moment
As long as you're mine
Come be how you want to
And see how bright we shine
**How much better could an expression of love be than to "kiss me too fiercely"?...how tender a picture of being with your beloved than when he asks "see how bright we shine?" when you are how you want to be...(sigh)

"For Good"
I've heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you
**ahh...for all my girls! Makes me thankful for my friendships even though (and maybe especially because) they aren't perfect and are works in progress.

Well...there you go...a few life lessons from the story you never knew about the two witches of Oz. Y'know...it's playing in Seattle in September...wanna go? :-)

Daily Done

So, we're done for the day. We had another good day at the WACA conference. Our speaker this morning was AMAZING! Basically he was your average run-of-the-mill sad story and here's what I learned from it kinda guy. But the way he presented it was so super sincere! You know...when he tells us to take time to be caring...it really was so sincere. His name was Chad Hymas. Super Good!

I skipped out on two afternoon sessions because there weren't really any topics that applied to me. So, I came back to the room and answered some school emails.

Then tonight...I WON! Yep...I won the cool bag with motivational books in it. We received tickets all conference and got to put them into a box for a door prize drawing. Right before they said the name I said to the person beside me...I'm going to win it!...and I DID! I love it when that happens!

Time to pack up all the goodies I've won or been given...SWEET!

Daily Inspire

Here I am...more than a week late again...and just choosing to **release**. Ahh...it feels good. I'm getting better. I think I'm doing better with RELEASE this year than I did with SIMPLIFY last year. Maybe I'll try to simplify next year :-)

I'm at the WACA conference in Vancouver this week. It's good. I'm always nervous to leave my kids and it's especially difficult when it's for three whole days. I know the world will continue to spin despite the fact that I'm gone...but phew...I hate to leave my kids. Here's hoping Mrs. B is having a great time with them!

WACA stands for Washington Activities Coordinators Association. It's the annual conference for leadership teachers, ASB advisors, school bookeepers, etc. It's a great time of lots of info and some rejuvenation. Y'know...it's hard being a teacher in general...I know it's not popular to say that sometimes...but it's hard. I literally do not sit down all day some days. And even as I speak...err...type...I'm glancing at a stack of papers that need to be graded that I brought with me to my hotel room. But doing a high activity class such as leadership is a harder job in some respects. So, it's good to come here and be refreshed. You know I'm only as good as I let myself be. If I pour myself out but don't replenish the waters...pretty soon there'll be no more to pour out. It's the same for life; isn't it?

Some highlights for today:
*Speaker Showcase: Richard Thomas...a man who grew up in inner city L.A. and moved to Kent in the 6th grade. He went on to play at the UW and the NFL and now speaks to students. So, I had to get a picture of him...he even let me wear his ROSE BOWL ring!

*Speaker Showcase: Jeremy Johnson...spoke about your value and the ability to see through the obstacles.

*Keynote Presenter: David Garibaldi...performance artist who paints big bold pieces of pop art to music...it's called "Rhythm & Hue"...super cool!

I'll post pics later...and I'll try to post more stuff about last week...at least if I can remember.

Go...be inspired!

Daily Evaluation

Things I liked about today:
*All the oldie-but-goodies songs at church today (Humble Thyself, Where Do I Go?)
*Listening to Elvis Costello at Starbucks
*finishing correcting essays
*grocery shopping AND putting them away before nightfall
*the Friends Thanksgiving episode with Brad Pitt...mmmm...
*Amazing Race
*Seeing my friend Shelly

Things I did not like about today:
*frustrating emails
*parents who are doing their children no favors
*being in bed past 11 :-(

Daily Deep

MMMmmmm...what is it about certain times that make you feel introspective...contemplative...what are other words that end in -ive? I was listening to a song tonight in my car as I sat outside my house. It was a song from the musical Wicked. It's a song about a boy she likes that likes someone else. It's called "I'm not that girl" and it's got clever lines in it like this: Blithe smile, lithe limb, she who's winsome, she wins him. Gold hair with a gentle curl: that's the girl he chose and Heaven knows I'm not that girl. Now, these lyrics have absolutely nothing to do with me or my life but I found myself sitting there under my rain dropped windshield in the nine o'clock darkness of a Saturday evening feeling...umm...I don't know...nostalgic?...for what I don't know. I don't know if it was the dark evening drive to water a friend's plants, the quietness of the post office drive thru, the cool breeze through my window as I made an ATM deposit, or the fact that I've been watching Sex & the City (which is laden with my above phrase "I don't know if it was...") but I just really felt like I needed to sit for a minute...in my car...and sadly sing those words along with the actress in my IPod. I don't know...I don't know what I'm feeling right now.

I want to say that I'm feeling in flux...maybe unsure...I don't really know what I've got to be unsure about but there are things in my life that feel out of my control. The weird thing is there are no big things that definitely need my control. Melancholy...is that how I'm feeling? Hmm...I don't know. I'll try to be in a better mood. A more alive mood...a less quiet mood.

So, after asking you to PROMISE to not let me slack off on the daily stuff you big fat went and did it anyway! :-)
2-17-09
School after a long weekend. Mmmm...a long weekend. Except that short weeks always seem to take too long. It was fun to see everyone's reaction to the final totals for the Pennies campaign...over $3000!

2-18-09
I found this really cool website when looking for something for youth group. It's called TeenSundaySchool.com and it had the latest lesson series I'm using on Truth. It's interesting...my students' view on truths...quite the range I must say. It should be interesting!

2-19-09
Survivor tonight...YAY! Doug comes over and our typical deal is to order Chinese. I sort of like it and I sort of don't like it that they know my name there...and my specific order that never EVER changes! Sweet & Sour Chicken, Chicken Fried Rice (no sprouts), House Special Fried Rice (no sprouts), and BBQ Pork...mmmm!

2-20-09
It's my 34th birthday today and many many people wished me well. Lots of my friends and classmates on Facebook wished me happy birthday, a student of mine wished me happy birthday every time she saw me in the hallway, a colleague sang to me, my aunt who never ever misses my day sent me a card, Sean had not one but two gifts, and some people called to say happy birthday. But why is it I still tend to think of who didn't call me. Hmm...
BTW...Prosser girls played at EV...fun to see my friends..not so fun to lose :-)

2-21-09
Ahhhh...lunch my girls...ahhh! It started as just a quick trip to Tri Cities, that changed to a quick trip and lunch with Nicole, and that turned into all four of us (which is surprisingly difficult sometimes) getting together for lunch a bit o' birthday party wishes. Then out to the farm for family birthday. That's always good to see everyone all at the same time...Grandpa isn't getting any better though and that makes me...umm...heartsick.

2-22-09
Church, school work, you know...a typical Sunday. Ooohh...plus the Oscars. So my girlfriend Kate Winslet won! I love love LOVE her! And Slumdog Millionaire...oohh we really liked that movie!

2-23-09
Typical Monday. No meetings...now that's a breath of fresh air! I ended my six year term of elder at church which means that although I still volunteer with the youth group I don't directly volunteer on the Christian Ed. team or on Session. And that means!....that I don't go to meeting twice a month anymore. You wouldn't think that two meetings would be difficult but it kind of cuts into the week :-)

2-24-09
Now...the down side of no meetings is that I tend to spend way too much time at school. Sean informed me the other day that since I'm so close to home now I can come home earlier than 5:30...we'll see if I can improve that :-)

Oh...and a yummy birthday lunch at school for me and Ellen...I LOVE Chinese chicken salad :-)

2-25-09
Today in youth group we re-arranged the furniture. It was fun...but I think we ruined some TV cords. And it wasn't the MOST spiritual night...but we did do some fun Bible Trivia :-)

2-26-09
Survivor again...Chinese again...plus I finished filling out some congratulations cards to my students for raising their reading levels. Sure, it takes time but I'm hoping that the small investment of my time will make a difference in their desire to continue working hard!

2-27-09
Ahh...finally Friday. I had to cover detention today during the Staff vs. Student Ball game...it stank. It really stank. I hate having to be the mean teacher at detention. And then a quiet evening at home doing the bills, reconciling the accounts, and finishing the taxes. It feels good to have it done! Plus, a whopping $40 refund. It's funny that we're disappointed in that when all a refund is is the government giving back the money that we overpaid anyway. It's not really extra or free in the first place :-) funny!

2-28-09
Sleeping in RULES! Basketball today...EV lost :-( versus Othello of all teams! We won..and the games were at EV so again...it was fun to see my friends :-) **See above post at the beginning for the rest of today**

So...tomorrow...I WILL POST and (now repeat after me) I WILL correct the essay, I WILL correct the essays, I WILL correct the essays!

Daily Completion

Today I went up to school for like...five hours...wowza! I love holidays when I can go up there with a HUGE block of time all to myself. I am finally DONE with everything Penny related. I got all the final numbers tallied, the congratulations posters made...everything! I just have to fill out the report and send it in and we're good to go! We made a little over $3200 just in nine days...I'm so proud of my kids and the student body. They worked really hard and it totally paid off!

Also; I finished watching all of my Judge Judy's that have accumulated on Tivo...and we watched the last Cities of the Underworld we'd had saved...plus the last of the DVD's are sorted and put away in our new storage device...and the sheets and comforter are ALL dry well before we want to got to bed!

Lastly...here's something I've wanted to check off our TO DO list for some time. We had FISH FOR DINNER! Not such a big thing I know...but we really want to be healthy and we logically know fish is good for you but we so don't like fish. I found some mild Tilapia and it was good. I didn't exactly get a thumb's up from Sean but a "it's not bad" is as close as I think I'll get. Close enough to have fish maybe once or twice every two weeks...baby steps :-)

Daily Catch Up

Okay...I know...this is SO not a daily post since it's been more than a week. But I can explain :-) Everything is fine...I'm fine...we're fine...just circumstances, you know?

So; for the sake of catching up, filling you in, and keeping up with my Project 365 here we go! **Reader beware...this is shaping up to be a novella**

Friday 2/6/09
*refer to aforementioned Oscar movie post* Sean has wanted to see Slumdog Millionaire and it finally opened in Sunnyside...so off we went right after school. We try to catch a matinee for many reasons...cheaper...no stupid people...less crowded (more on stupid people later). I must say this was one of those I'm-going-for-him-more-than-me kinda things. He goes with me to Chick Flicks so this was the least I could do. I did end up really liking it. Sean like it more...but it was good. It's about this slumdog (read: impoverished, lowly tea server young man) who wins the top prize on India's "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" Because he gets all the answers right he's questioned by the Indian police about whether or not he cheated. And by "questioned" I mean "tortured within an inch of his life". Then the movie follows his whole life and how the circumstances of his life helped him know each question. It was a really cool conceit for a movie and it does have a happy ending. I like it and I'm fine with it being nominated...totally worthy. About 1/4 of the way into it I turned to comment to Sean that I'm so happy I was born in the United States...wow!

Saturday 2/7/09
On Saturday we headed to Wenatchee for my brother's surprise birthday party. He actually didn't turn 40 until Valentine's Day (or as he calls it...St. MARKentine's Day :-?) It was fun to surprise him...although he kinda knew something was up...the stinker! It reminded me of my Surprise 30th birthday party that Sean threw for me when all of my family and friends came all the way to Prosser to help me celebrate! I made a scrapbook layout for him titled "40 things I learned from my brother"...among them "How to cool off the television set with ice cube trays so mom won't know we were watching TV instead of doing chores". Maybe I'll do another post with more! We also had lunch at Miner's...Sean LOVES Miner's :-)

I got some good Cooper and Crosbie time, too. Cooper wanted to snuggle with me all night and thought it would work out great to sleep in between me and Uncle Seannie. Not so much :-) But we did snuggle a bit in his room while we watched his favorite part of Superman and some more in the morning watching Sponge Bob.

Sunday 2/8/09
We came home and I immediately went to Starbucks to correct some papers...didn't get as much done as I thought...I never do...but it was some good time. After some grocery shopping at Grandview Safeway (which I know is a BIT more expensive but it's so pretty there) it was a pretty regular Sunday night...little bit of Housewives, little bit of laundry, little bit of school work, little bit of getting ready for the week!

Monday 2/9/09
Probably the best thing about this night was that I didn't have to go to Team Meetings...not that I don't enjoy doing ministry with my friends...but I sure do love having my evenings free again. On this night I got to stay at school and watch some student produced presentations for National History Day. Once upon a time when I was a CWU Wildcat I used to help with the National History Day State competition when it was on campus. I told my two colleagues and Viola' I was recruited to help. It's fun to be staff at a local school and get to participate. At my old school I never stayed for this stuff because it was always at night and I lived far away. There were some REALLY good ones...and some that were still "in progress". But they have four weeks still and they should vastly improve!

Tuesday 2/10/09
Were I to have done a post on this actual day I would have titled it "That's how you know?" and then quoted the lyrics of that song from the movie "Enchanted".

How does she know you love her?
How does she know she's yours?
How does she know that you love her?
How do you show her you love her?
How does she know that you really
really truly love her?
Well does he leave a little note to tell you, you are on his mind?
Send you yellow flowers when the sky is grey?
He'll find a new way to show you a little bit every day
That's how you know he's in love

...you get the idea :-)

And then I would have told you this story:
On Monday Sean informed me that the next Netflix movie to come in the mail I couldn't open...it was a surprise! Hmmm...so I told him that he's not the boss of me and I could come home on my prep period and get the mail and open it anyway. But I didn't. I got the mail on Tuesday and sure enough there was the new movie. Sean was on the treadmill so we didn't open it right away. I told him I thought I knew and he challenged me to guess. Guess #1: Kids Incorporated...NO "You'll never guess what it is" he baits..."But it's something you really likED". Guess #2: Facts of Life...NO Quick rebound with Guess #3: Silver Spoons..."How did you guess that?"

And then I would've ended the post with something poetic...a little like this...but it probably would've been longer:
That's how I know...that's how I know I'm the one...cause he orders my favorite 80's sitcom from back when I was in love with The Ricker. You know how much I love Kevin Costner...it doesn't even compare to my devotion to Ricky Schroder! And he knows that and he surprises me with it. He gets the big garbage can from the alley without me asking...he lets me sleep in when I have a day off...he washes and changes the sheets and makes the bed all while I'm away...he doesn't mind when I go out with my girlfriends instead of him on Valentine's Day...he still sends me Valentine's roses...that's how I know!

*I also bought 300 Conversation Heart boxes in Tri Cities today for a Candy Gram promotion at school...yikes!*

Wednesday 2/11/09
Wednesday's are always dominated by youth group stuff...and that's a good thing :-) Luckily Pete was able to help out tonight so it wasn't just me and the 22 middle schoolers :-) We did Bible skits...which they ALWAYS love!

PLUS...my BFF had her baby today! Check him out here

Thursday 2/12/09
Survivor finally started! This is our thing...don't gimme a hard time about it. Doug comes over, we order Chinese food, and we watch Survivor. Last year was the first time we picked winners a'la Fantasy Football...a'la Amazing Race (more on that later). Plus CSI...even without Grissom it was still good. We're about two weeks behind on CSI...but thank goodness for Tivo!

Plus I got my Valentine's roses today. It was two days early...Sean always likes to mix it up because I kinda expect them. I love it when they come to school and my girls gush about how sweet it is and I use it to talk about what a good man he is. Sometimes I worry that me saying that is the only time some of my girls get an idea of what it means to be treated right by the person who loves you.

Friday 2/13/09
Friday the 13th...ahhh...:-) It's finally over...the coin drive at school. After two straight weeks of counting almost $200 in coins EVERY DAY it's done! The kids did an awesome job and they're a bit bummed they didn't meet the goal...but it was a rousing success. We'd set the goal using last year's number but neglected to consider that last year was a 3 week campaign and this year was a nine-day campaign. So, coming within $100 of last year' goal in 6 fewer days seems A-OK to me!

I also got my hair done today. It was the second time for this girl to do my hair and it's different but I like it...darker for sure...and the blonde is more carmel this time which I like!

Basketball versus Wapato this night...girls won keeping their no-loss season alive! And I must admit that I wasn't expecting much from our boys...Wapato is that good. But, it's a wacky CWAC this year. We lead them through 3 1/2 quarters and finally got outscored at the end and lost...but they played so well! And it was INTENSE. Their coach got a Technical Foul...he must've said something about the ref's momma..maybe "Your mother is so beautiful and by the way thanks for the outstanding job you are doing on the court". And it's always fun to listen to the whiny Wapato fans...seriously the only foul they're aware of is "Three in the Key" because that's all they yell about from the stands...ugh!

Saturday 2/14/09
Happy Valentine's Day! I slept in until 9:42...that's late for me! Well, it's late for Adult Me...back in high school that wouldn't even have been a drop in the bucket. Jacki and I drove down to Tri Cities to have lunch with Nicole and we spur of the moment decided to watch a movie...Confessions of a Shopaholic...it was cute...and it worked well since no one's husband wanted to go to this :-)

Sunday 2/15/09
We were greeters at church today and everyone was SO excited to see Sean. With his surgery (which is SLOWLY progressing in it's recovery) and not feeling well it's been a while since he's been to church. It was a good sermon...about anger and not raising your hand in anger but in kindness. Plus Lindsey brought her friend's little boy to church. She was babysitting and funnily enough (yes, I know it's not a word) the little boy is related to me. It happens that her friend's husband is a second cousin of mine from Sunnyside...how wild is that? I happen to think this little bitty boy looks just like his dad did when he was little.

Without a doubt our favorite FAVORITE show is Amazing Race. Sean wants us to apply to be on it SO badly. For his birthday last year I partially filled out an application...but certain "stipulations" have yet to be met :-) For Amazing Race we always pick our dream teams and we do it Fantasy Football style...meaning that we pick who we think is going to win the whole kit-n-caboodle before we know anything about them. The person who came closest to winning last year has to pick last and we pick two couples. So, I TOTALLY kicked Sean's butt last year...my couple actually won the WHOLE thing! So, he picked the Lawyer Siblings first...doh! I picked the Blonde Flight Attendants...YES! He then picked the Sporty Sisters...that a'ight! My final team is the Troubled Dating Couple...risky! Turns out my two teams came in DEAD last...the troubled couple got booted and the flight attendants have some serious catching up to do!

Phew...that was intense...PLEASE remind me to NEVER save up a week+ worth of posts...it's way too taxing! I already know there's stuff I've forgotten and that drives me crazy!

I'll do today's post all by it's lonesome :-)and I'll try to post pictures soon, too.

Daily Count

So...originally I was thinking that this post would be about counting money. We are in the beginnings of our Pennies for Patients campaign and it seems like my whole focus is on counting coins...piles of pennies...piles of nickels...piles of dimes...piles of quarters...and stacks of cash!

It seems it takes the whole period to collect ad count everyone's money. Today we did a promo at lunch called "Stuck for a Buck". One of our staff members volunteered to be stuck to the wall with duct tape. So at lunch students could buy a strip of tape for fifty cents to stick him to the wall.

We made $80 just at lunch...let alone the rest of the day...it was awesome! One student brought his birthday money---$50! Another student brought his own $20 he earned. It was really cool..for student to be so giving. I know they are competing for pizza...but still...it's pretty cool!

Anyway...yes this is about actual counting BUT will you allow me to stretch it a bit? It also makes me think about what counts in life. Today we asked our students what success means & to define a success they had today. The point was there are little successes that lead to bigger successes. Don't just concentrate on the enormity of the big things that seem impossible...because it's all the little things that lead there. That's why we end our daily Pennies announcement with "Every cent counts"...because it does! :-)

Daily Busy-ness

6 AM wake up and get ready for school
*don't forget the bills to mail
*don't forget to print directions to Sierra Vista

7 AM drive out to Starbucks
Pick up school van

7:15 AM finish the copies for my sub
panic when it's 7:40 and she's still not there

7:45-8:05 stand outside my door and collect late assignments

8:05 AM learn one of my students is NOT going with me...an $18 loss

8:10 AM leave with five ASB officers to Sierra Vista Middle School in Sunnyside

8:40-1:15 spend all day in a gym with 210 middle school leadership students...isn't there a medal for that?

1:40 PM collect $220 in coins and cash for our first Pennies for Patients day

2 PM join book study with colleagues

3 PM begin counting $220 with three student helpers

5:15 PM finish counting...ugh!

5:19 PM begin loading coins into the Coinstar machine at Food Depot

5:54 PM finally finish fighting with the Coinstar machine and get my receipt!

6:05 PM return home with a McDonald's dinner

6:30 PM arrive at church to NOT do a lesson because I'm inundated with 25...yes 25...middle schoolers all by myself...and I'm SO tired

8:20 PM finally arrive back at home to watch the end of American Idol and go to bed...why are some days like this?

Gooooo.....GOooooo...that's all I felt like today....GO.

Daily Kick Off

Technically yesterday was our Kick Off for the Pennies for Patients campaign at school. But, today was the day we got the last posters up and the collection cans out to classrooms. So, it feels like today is really the kick off. This picture is of my students holding our poster. They've been working really hard and they're really excited and have had a ton of great ideas. I always love it when kids stretch outside themselves to help others.

In other news...I spent TWELVE hours at school today! Not twelve hours from the time I woke up to the time I drove home...literally TWELVE hours in the building! That means I didn't get home until after 7.

I am taking the ASB officers to a conference tomorrow so I had to get ready for a sub and that always takes so long...between my sub plans I have to write, and the copies I have to make, and the perpetual mess that is my desk it just takes so gosh-darn long. But on the bright side I'll have fun tomorrow and my sub is awesome!

What else today...
Sean's incision is finally showing noticeable signs of improvement.

I had one of the most perfect dinners...plain pasta and mozzarella/parmesan cheese

I'm wearing my new sweater that I bought three months ago...only the second time I've worn it since I hung it in the closet in our old room and forgot I had it :-)

We watched the first night of Hollywood night on American Idol.

Sean had to wake me up today because I just wasn't waking up so he got up first and then had to call up the stairs "Honey? You going to school today?"

Even though it was MONUMENTALLY noisy I really had genuine fun with my students coming up with their Editorial arguments.

Tired! But...Good times :-)

Daily Accomplishment

Back in the day banks used to send you your cancelled checks. That way you could see that they had cleared...who cashed them...etc. etc. etc. Back in the day my mom worked in the banking and finance industry in many different capacities. She volunteered as our church treasurer for many many years and she'd call on us kids to help her from time to time. I LOVED helping. My big job was to sort the church's returned/cancelled checks into numerical order. So, off to the living room I'd go and lay out all the checks on the electric blue carpet. If it were a lot of check I'd start sorting into big bunches...like all the 100's, 200's, 300's, etc. And then I'd take the 100's and sort into groups of tens and so on and so on until all the checks were in order. **I also used to walk the half block to Mrs. Schefelbein's house to deliver her paycheck for being the nursery attendant**

My mom was a really good banker...she was ambidextrous...she could operate her adding machine with both hands! She taught me how to count cash three times...yes, three times. Because if you only counted twice and both times got you different numbers how would you know which is right? Whereas if you count it three times then at least two times would be the same and that was probably the right count. She taught me how to flip through checks really fast using the eraser at the top of your pencil in the upper right hand corners of the checks. She also once refused to close a month's statement at the church when it didn't balance. Now, it was only off by a quarter and our minister offered to just give her the quarter to balance it out...but that's not the point. That quarter was there somewhere and by golly she eventually found it!

So...fast forward to today and I still love to do home banking! I LOVE LOVE LOVE office supplies that make my office more organized and pretty. I love a fresh pack of pens and highlighters. I love an empty accordion file at the beginning of the year. I love closing up last year's accordion file. I LOVE LOVE LOVE when our paychecks come in and I can open Quicken and everything balances and is accounted for and the bills are paid. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the feeling of paid bills. Would I like to hold on to some more of that cash? Sure...but it's so satisfying to know that God provides for us and we are good stewards and take care of ourselves.

Tonight was one of those nights...all paid...all stamped...all addressed...all balanced! Yippee!

Daily Bummer

I hit a dog tonight. I think I clipped it as it ran out of the way. Ugh..I'm hating myself right now. There were two dogs and it was dark and I was by myself so I didn't stop. I asked Sean if I should have stopped and he said I made the right decision not knowing how hurt and angry the dog was and not knowing the state of the other dog and not having anyone with me and it being dark. I looked in my rear view mirror and didn't see anything in the road way so I'm hoping I just bumped him with my tire and he was able to run home.

I'm frustrated though by dog owners that didn't look after their dog. I saw the first dog along side of the road so I started to slow down and then all of a sudden the red dog was in front of me. I feel awful...should I have stopped? Would I understand my point of view if it was my dog that was hit? Why do dog lovers end up being the ones to hit the dogs...there's something cosmically wrong with that!

I also had my first People to People meeting with my Australia students...it was a much better first meeting that last year's. That makes sense I guess because this time I was able to answer questions based on my experience. It looks like we have a great group of students and I'm really excited!

Also...a quick observation...if you're strapped for cash and come into a windfall is it really the wisest investment to frivolously spend money on high priced electronics? Just curious :-)

**Sweet!...no misspellings found...again!**

Daily Request

When you want something what do you do? If I want something and Sean is headed to the kitchen anyway I'll say "Honey? Could you get me a coke on the way back from the kitchen?" If I'm in my classroom I say "Hey Jessica, could you bring me that stack of papers pretty please with sugar on top?"

When Cleo wants to go outside she dances around very ansy-like and will run the length of the living room back and forth between you and the door until you let her out. When Sommer wants the empty plastic bottle or the people food she'll lay her head on your lap as you sit at the desk or paw you...over and over again very annoyingly. When Roxy wants to go to sleep she lays her head on the back of my thigh.

However...when the dogs want water...they do this:

They lick and lick and lick and lick and lick at the self watering water dish. I sometimes wonder if they think that the water will just magically appear if they lick hard enough. Even though they watch me refill it. If we're in the office we can't see or hear them licking. So then when we get back into the kitchen we find that they've licked and licked to the point of moving the water dish about 8 feet from the back door to the middle of the kitchen. Funny dogs!

We had our church's annual Chili and Cinnamon Roll Feed tonight. Mmmmm...super good chili and mmmm...super gooey cinnamon rolls. I had tons of fun with my two little waitress helpers. They looked up at me about 20 minutes into their shift and said..you know this is kinda fun! Too cute:-)

P.S. To Mark...Deal!
P.P.S. Edited to read CHILI...not CHILD...no we do not feed on Children at my church :-)

Daily Hmm..

About 13 years ago there was a movie that, at this time of year, was so massively hyped that Sean and I couldn't wait to see it. It went on to win many many awards. We'd seen it before the Oscars...back then we saw so many more movies than we do now. There was a time when we would've seen every Best Picture nominee movie...not because we set out to but because that was what our tastes and time dictated. There were even some times that we'd seen close to all of the performances that'd been nominated. I digress :-)

So, we went to see The English Patient with high, HIGH, expectations. And we were so...SO...SOOOOO...disappointed. What? Were you expecting us to have liked it? I remember thinking at the time "how many times can we look at the undulating sands of Africa from an airplane?"...or "Wait, what? Did they jump back in time again?"...or "Who is this black haired bearded guy hitting on Juliette Binoche?" Ugh. We did NOT like it...and then that year as we watched the Oscars we felt so gypped when it won all these awards. I mean, I guess I could appreciate Juliette's performance...but ugh! What a stinker of a movie :-)

SO..I was apprehensive when we went to see The Reader tonight. I really wanted to see it (and it turns out I used to own the book...but never finished it) and Kate Winslet is a pretty big deal around our house. She's been Sean's girlfriend for going on 12 or so years..and I've been known to offer ...well, nevermind. :-) Let's just say she's my movie-star BFF.

Now...I wouldn't say I didn't like it. Sean for sure wasn't bowled over. But it definitely has stuck with me. I can't stop thinking about it...four hours later. I can tell when something like that affects me because I pore over the internet to find out stuff about it. So, I've read the IMDB.com stuff on this movie, I've consulted Wikipedia, I've watched the cast interviews on the movie's site, and I've even watched the Official Trailer on YouTube...even though I JUST saw the movie.

It's fascinating to think of what makes people fall in love, what forces from the past and present affect that, what forces from the world around you affect that, how do you reconcile what you feel for someone if and when you learn a secret from their prior life, does that change what you had, does that change how you feel now.

I love stories and movies that don't give you the "Right" answer. I do, really. I sometimes get frustrated but ultimately I love it because it lingers with you. It keeps you thinking. I mean, I loved the book Bridges of Madison County and I remember finishing it in a weekend. But at the end I'm pretty sure that the housewife doesn't go with the rogue traveling photog and I'm pretty sure she's completely tortured yet stoic about that decision. I love LOVE Nicholas Sparks novels...mostly because I love Kevin Costner and he's in Message in a Bottle. But when Kevin's character's story runs its arc...I'm not really questioning anything.

In fact I just finished a novel with my students where at the end they asked me the "so what does that ending mean?" question. It's fun to say "I don't know, what do you think?". That's how I feel about The Reader...does Hanna see him?...did he ever love her?...did she know about the trial when she left?...was he able to love anyone else?...why the tapes?...what was his motivation with the tapes?...I don't know; what do you think?

The Reader is a slow-moving but absorbing story of sexual awakening and moral dilemmas. Director Stephen Daldry (The Hours) has intelligently adapted Bernhard Schlink's novel set in post-World War II Germany. Though the effort is uneven, it's a well-acted romance that becomes a less compelling courtroom drama...The Reader raises thorny questions and avoids simple answers. Michael's morality is left disturbingly unclear. This tale of eroticism, secrecy and guilt is bound to stir discussion.
---Claudia Puig, USA Today

**FYI...when you attend an R-rated movie whose reviews says things like "sexual awakening...DO NOT take your 8 year old and then HARUMPH as you leave the theater**

Daily Stump

So...I ask my students to write all the time and to be honest I don't have much patience when they tell me they don't know what to write about. Now, granted, some of the students who have this complaint have been hard at work for all of two minutes so my lack of patience is warranted. But; tonight I kinda know what they mean. I think in this case, though, it is a case of being tired and still having stuff to do...also; I'm getting kind of tired of doing this Project 365 thing. I keep thinking on the one hand it's cool to document a tiny part of every day of your life for a year...what a thing to look back on. But, on the other hand what could I possibly have to say still? Woke up...again. Had a vanilla latte...again. Stayed at school too late...again. Organized and stacked piles of papers...again. Demanded that Sommer stop licking...again. Ate dinner and watched Ghost Hunters...again. Washed dishes...again. Coerced Sommer to stop pawing me...again. Got after Cleo for barking...again. Wondered why Roxy looks at us as though we're about to kick her out...again. Slacked on laundry...again. Left dinner on the counter...again. Blogged...again :-)

Daily Peace

Hi world. Hi *release*. Hi stranger who I got to pray for. Hi unashamed concern. Hi sincere prayer. Hi Body of Christ who prays together. Hi friend who went to dinner with me. Hi hubby who got a milkshake with me. Hi Friends! Hi blogworld. Hi better days to come. Hi small successes. Hi inquisitive students. Hi connections with kids! Hi good times. Hi comfy bed!

Daily Hooky

I have been serving as an Elder in my church for six years. Most of the time I was on the Christian Education Team. The Christian Ed. team is in charge of Youth Group and Sunday School and Nursery. In the Presbyterian church you can serve as an Elder for a term of three years and you can serve two terms back to back. It's a good thing to serve...I believe it is a good thing to serve. But...it's also really tiring because of all the meetings and sub meetings and emails and readings. And it's also stressful sometimes when there are big decisions...I want so badly to be doing what God wants for my church family.

This past Sunday we elected new elders. Now, technically I'm still an elder until the new ones are installed...BUT...I had SO much work to do and it was my students' first home basketball game...so I made the uncomfortable email to ask if I could skip it. So, now...I'm at home and there's a meeting going on and I'm not there...and I TOTALLY feel like I'm skipping school. :-)

Also...today in the mail I received the TITLE TO MY CAR...what a nice surprise! I knew we were getting close with all the payments but I thought I still had a couple of months to go. Woo Hoo!

Daily Regret

Do the blog.
No; I'm tired.
You know you'll regret it if you don't.
C'mon...it's just one blog on one day what's the ha...
The harm? The harm is it'll be a day later and you know you won't remember what to type.
Remember? It's just a day...how I could I NOT remember?

Hmm..good question. You know another good question? What the heck happened yesterday?

This is the conversation that Evil Chelle had with Angel Chelle. Just so you know...Evil Chelle won out so I'm blogging about two days on one day...*sad tear*

*I'm sure I ate some breakfast...oh yeah...it was Sean's birthday and I made cinnamon rolls while he was in the shower
*Ummm...I watched some Judge Judy...and some Good Eats...I think I fell asleep to Good Eats.
*I had dinner with Sean...Eli & Kathy's Drive In (his birthday choice...and watched Cities of the Underworld about the Egyptian Pyramids.

Okay. But if your Project 365 gets messed up don't coming crying to me!

Daily Procrastination

So I went to church and straight from church I went to Yakima for PTP interviews and from there straight home to get going on some work as I get ready for this week at school. Ugh...Don't ya hate it when as you drive home you make a list of ALL the stuff you have to do and ALL the time you have to do it in but in the end the list never gets tackled?...me too!

Well...I guess that's what Monday mornings are for right...cuz I totally always wake up on time on Mondays to tie up loose ends!...Ugh :-)

Daily Par-Tay!

Today was my friend's baby shower. We've been friends for a really long time. Today I was going through my mind all the ways I could describe how long we've been friends. Each one brings about a different reaction or emotion. Try these on for size:
*We've known each other since we were five...awww...that's such a sweet memory.
*We've known each other since 1980...wow; I remember the 80's...good times.
*We've known each other for every stage of our lives...wow; you must have a deep friendship.
*We've known each other through our awkward years...wow; those must be some stories.
*We've known each other since (and after) the Great Spaghetti Sauce Fight of 7th grade...wow; a fight so big it had a name?
And then I started counting exactly how long we've known each other. I used to say:
*We've known each other for twenty years...wow; that's an impressive history.
And then I started to RE-count and so I present the

piece de resistance:

*We've known each other for *ALMOST THIRTY YEARS*...which begs the comment wow; you must have met in the womb!...*LOL*.
Seriously; thirty is so much more than twenty! Wow...we've really known each other for almost thirty years. As I looked up on Wikipedia the meaning of the French phrase I used above I learned it meant "the best part or feature of something" but I also came across this one *coup de gras* which means the death blow meant to end the final suffering of a wounded creature. So...I'll leave it up to you to decide if it's a coup de gras or the piece de resistance.

I also got to talk with her mom for a long time...that was fun...plus I got to have lunch with my other friend...and listen to her son laugh when we told him he came from Mommy's tummy...he thinks we're totally joking him...oh...and the icing on the cake?...I ran out of gas on the side of the road. My good friend to the rescue and I was on my way!

Daily Competition

Once upon a time ago a girl graduated from college intent on changing the world...one student at a time. That's what teacher-college feels like, BTW, you are singularly equipped and gifted to cause all of those pre-pubescent beings to stand in awe of you as the ONE teacher they'll remember...the ONE teacher who'll be the subject of that college-application essay "The person who made the most impact on my life".

Don't get me wrong...I LOVE my job...but there are times when the bubble I blew in that first paragraph gets totally burst and I find myself saying and doing things MY teachers used to do and I swore I'd NEVER do...Liiiikkkkeee...raising my eyebrow to my students (a'la Mrs. Bowden) or "yesterday when we left off..." (close to Mr. Fuerst's "Last...Yesterday") or the ever popular "would you like to share that with the rest of the class?" (akin to EVERY teacher I had who put the comment socializes too much on my report card).

I digress...once upon a time ago a girl graduated from college and looked for a job. She found one in North Bend and applied but she didn't have any team teaching experience. The only other job she found was a High School in Yakima. She'd never taught high school...and still felt a little too close in age...plus Yakima was a long way away. Well, she thought, that's okay...I'll just work at East Valley High School for a year or two until something closer comes available.

So for nine years she drove 500 miles a week to work and back. This girl who'd sleep til way past noon...who couldn't make it to her 8:00 History 102 class even when she lived on campus...who once made her mom break open their back door because she'd slept walked and accidentally chained it shut...left her house every morning by 6 AM to get to work. This girl never saw the light of day from Monday thru Friday during the winter months as it was dark when she left for school and dark when she left for home. This girl sometimes drove as slow as 40 or 50 MPH when road conditions worsened...for nine years.

Then one day a job came available...a mere two minutes from her house...and she took it. It would be an easy transition...she *thought*. She'd never lived in East Valley; she rarely did staff get-togethers because she'd always get home too late. It was *just a job*...or so she thought. The new job started and she missed her colleagues...and the more she missed them the more she realized that unbeknownst to her...over the last nine years...they'd become so much more than colleagues...and this job had become so much more than a job until something closer comes available.

Fast forward to tonight and my hometown gym is host to the East Valley Red Devils...so many of the Varsity girls and boys were my students over the last 3 or 4 years that they'd been at the high school and a part of me still considers myself a Red Devil. I found myself looking with disgust as they missed their shots or muttering under my breath that they were better than this. It was definitely bittersweet. But it also made me so appreciative that my very first job was SUCH a good experience.

The distance will get easier...those students of mine will eventually graduate and I'll no longer know any of the EV kids at all...but for now...it helps me still feel a little connected while I'm still healing from the loss of my first great job!

Daily Fix

MMMmmmmm...Patrick Dempsey...*sigh*...me likey!

Tonight was the third episode in a mini-arc that has been playing out on Grey's Anatomy. Last week was intense given the final scene of a death-row inmate/patient doing himself in by slamming his newly-opened skull against the back of his hospital bed.

Then tonight it was one gut-check after another with a heart wrenching fight between Izzy and her dead ex-fiance, the 10 year old on death's door, the inmate who Derek thinks is pure evil and Meredith sees some redeeming qualities in (when he's really somewhere in between the two), the organ donor's wife, and the lines that were crossed...phew...

I cried...I'll admit it...I'm a big girl...I cried. To which Sean incredulously questioned "You cried? It's a TV show." Oh...did I mention this statement came as he was playing his game World of Warcraft...with people he assures me are real...but I say the jury's still out. So to Sean I say...*ring*ring*ring* "Hello, Pot? This is the Kettle. You're black!"

Also...big news...Sean's staples are out! It was so cool to watch that...his staple remover was exactly like mine at school :-) So, we'll see how he progresses...he's certainly feeling a whole lot better!

MMMmmmm....Fridays!...*sigh*...me likey!

Daily Lists

What I ate today...Breakfast: Apple Bran Muffin and Vanilla latte from Starbucks
Lunch: Roast Turkey and stuffing Lean Cuisine and a Coke
Dinner: Apple Chai Tea Latte and Oatmeal cookie from Starbucks, one hot dog at church, left over spaghetti at home

What I wore today...
Brown "Toms Shoes" boots
Khaki leggings
99350 Prosser long sleeve shirt
Italia sweatshirt/Boise sweatshirt

Who I talked to today...
Sean
Paul
Jacki
my students (at school)
Wendy (at school)
Connie (at school)
Ellen (at school)
Colin
my youth group kids
Kim (at school)
Vivian (at school)
Mark (at school)
Brock (at school)

Who I got emails from today...Sarah
Carrie
Youth Specialties
Christianbook.com

What my dogs are doing right now...
Sommer...in a time out on the couch
Roxy...sleeping on the dog bed RIGHT NEXT to Sean's chair
Cleo...barking up a storm outside

TV I've watched in part or whole (or at least listened to)...
Judge Judy
Good Morning America
Today show
The Patriot (with Mel Gibson...not Steven Segal)
My House Is Worth What?
HBO Inauguration special

Daily History

On a day like today I want to sound poetic...and inspirational...I want to sound profound. But I find myself not even wanting to articulate what I feel on inauguration days because I think it will pale in comparison to more gifted writers or it will not ring so true when I become the umpteenth (thanks for the word mom) person to talk about how it feels to be part of history.

So...I will talk about what I like about inaugurations. I like all the pomp and circumstance, I like the show of patriotism, I like the history and symbolism. I like that there's a band that dresses up as colonial soldiers and plays the fife and drum. I like that the oath of office doesn't change. I like that he used a former president's Bible. I like that we still use poets as Poet Laureates to speak at the inauguration. I like the anticipation of what her dress will look like. I like that the old president leaves the new president a personal note on personalized stationary for him to find when he gets back there. I like the old first couple and the new first couple meet for coffee on that morning. I like (and chuckle) that they attend church on a weekday morning at St. John's Episcopal church...even though they're not Episcopalian.

I like all that stuff...I like that all the stuff that used to be done gets done one more time. It makes me feel nostalgic. If you know me then you know well that I appreciate traditions...especially traditions that make me feel warm and fuzzy. I like sweet pictures like this one, too. A picture that was viewed live by thousands and will be viewed over time by millions. A picture that shows a private moment in the midst of a public celebration.



And...here's another private moment picture. Sean and I took our niece and nephew out for dinner tonight. L is 10 AND A HALF and D is 2. Once he got the hang of it he LOVED the McDonald's playland. Man that kid can scream...but it was all screaming with glee!

Daily Bother

So; tonight I read something that I can only describe as *disturbing*. It was written by someone whose life seems in a dead-end and has been that way for some time. You can tell it really made an effect on me because I'm still quite bothered. By all accounts some of the bummer-ness is self inflicted...some; not so much. I can think of ways that this person could've altered her life or her response to it but I don't think that would be the most helpful. And anyway...pointing fingers at this point is useless. The really disturbing part were phrases she'd written like "a happy day seems like a black and white picture from yester year" or "the only thing that is happening with the lemons are that they are being squeezed into my eyes and already open wounds" or "I have a demon pirched on my shoulders pulling my puppet strings of stupidity and misery". See what I mean?

I was and am still very truly bothered by this...but it also got me to thinking about ways to help. You always hear about friends helping friends and on the rare occasion that the situation had escalated beyond help and then the friends say things like "if only" or "I wish I'd known...". So, what's the tipping point? And if the people don't know you are searching for ways to help then how do you tactfully offer the help...or does tact have anything to do with it? Hmmm...clearly I'll still be bothered by this for some time. And I have ideas in my head and a burden on my heart to continue my part in this. And if you are of like mind and heart you might want to add this at*this*early*date*un-named "Blogger-Girl" to your prayer list...or me...as I search for ways to help.

On a more mundane note:
Today I...
completed four loads of laundry
emptied the dishwasher
put away all the hand-washed dishes
met with Colin to design a Youth Group poster
had Starbucks!
Facebooked
Emailed
Watched Grey's Anatomy on Tivo...Go Eric Stoltz!...I smell Emmy :-)
Was frustrated by my dogs
Was driven to an "awww..." moment by my dogs...they're so CUTE!
Made spaghetti...why did it taste SO good tonight?

This is my dog Sommer getting her favorite chew toy...an empty plastic bottle...it's the little things:-)

This is my lunch...a chicken salad sandwich just the way we made them at Jennifer's when I was in college!

Daily Release

This morning I got to participate in my good friend's son's baptism. It was so sweet...I've known him for so many years and I love that I have been able to see his faith grow and ultimately be a part of this decision he's made. Church was extra long today...but it was good...watching our students join the church, good songs, good fellowship, good message. It was more than 30 minutes longer than usual...but that's okay...it was a good day at church!


I skipped out on the Miss Prosser pageant tonight. I usually do like to go with my mother-in-law (who was Miss Prosser herself) but tonight I had gotten so into finishing straightening my desk area and finishing those scrapbook projects that I've had laying around so I bagged it. And it turns out I didn't get quite as much done as I thought I did...but that's okay. I did find and sort all the stuff for those unfinished projects. I did finish cutting and making my Word of the Year. My desk top is a bit messy again..mostly with my newly sorted stuff that is just waiting to be put away...but that's okay because I got a lot of stuff done.

I'm going to bed later than I want to...but that's okay. Church was longer today...but that's okay. My desk is a tad messy...but that's okay. My living room is still not all the way clean...but that's okay. See how good I'm doing with my Word of the Year...see all the stuff I've RELEASED..because it's okay :-)

Daily Dailies

So...technically I did post for yesterday(Happiness is...) but I didn't do a "Daily" post. I have a good reason though! Last night was our church's youth group Lock In for the Thirty Hour Famine. The Thirty Hour Famine is a World Vision program to raise awareness of and funds for African poverty and hunger. We challenge our students to fast for 30 Hours and during those 30 hours we have a lock in, play games, have worship music time, watch movies, play games, do service projects, and sleep...a little. So from noon Friday until six Saturday night I only drank water and tea. Last night we played games and watched Prince Caspian and Kung Fu Panda and had GREAT worship time with Rob. Today we woke up around 8:40 and got out around 9:50 for our service projects. We cleaned alleys, helped at Jubilee, volunteered at a chess tournament, and cleaned up some parks. It was good...but cold..so we ended a bit early.

Some things I'd like to remember:
*how selling concessions at the chess tournament is SO hard when you're fasting
*how cool I think it is for a student to organize this as her senior project
*how slick it was this morning...freezing fog
*how fast everyone cleaned up and how full the city dumpsters got
*how Lindsey and I sat up until 2 AM talking before we fell asleep
*how GREAT it was to worship in the sanctuary under the cross
*how satisfying it is to make it all thirty hours without eating and to know that the void you feel is filled by communing...during those hungry times...with a living God whose heart breaks for the pains of this world.

Happier Happiness is...

finding out twenty minutes before you leave to get the "extra work" done at school during your two hour delay that you actually have a complete cancellation of school and now you have a four-day weekend!

Clean desk and paid bills...here I come!

Happiness is...

I have a good friend who does many of her posts with this Happiness title. It's a lot of fun and a quick peek into her day. I already wrote this in the comments of her blog but it bears repeating.

Happiness is...finding out you have a two hour delay (which you DON'T make up) after you get out of the shower!

Sure...I as the lover of all things sleep-related would've LOVED a couple extra hours of sleep. But I also LOVE a couple hours of extra "work and/or goof off" time :-)

Daily List

What I did today...
Woke up late=6:40 vs. 6:00
Debated Editorial topics with my students
Complained about stuff at lunch
Listened to "The Giver" with my students
Rushed home to get scrapbook supplies
Had fun sharing scrapbooking with the Crafters Club at school
Made (or rather...heated up) Orange Chicken and French Fries
Started to clean my desk...really I had started already but tonight is the first night I can see the dent that was made
Talked on the phone with FIVE people...Barb, Kristin, Susan, David, Mark, Heather...make that SIX people.
Facebooked...blogged...played my computer game...in general wasted time :-)
Set up a PTP interview
Watched Friends
Got to bed an hour later than I'd wanted...:-( 10:00 vs. 9:00

It's getting there...

Daily Ouch

Ohhh...man alive (as my mom used to say) my dogs are barkin'! And by dogs I mean my feet...and by barkin' I mean my feet are SO SORE! Although...a little bit ago my real dog was really barkin' :-) I don't what it was about today but my whole lower body is sore. My lower back is sore, my hips are sore (one is left over sore from two nights ago when Roxy slept against me all weird), my knees are sore, my ankles are sore...Holey Moley! I guess I just really full-body taught today...hmm :-)

The one thing that is feeling better is my left heel. For the past six months my left heel has been unbearably painful and I can't figure out why. Like when I get out of bed I'm limping...picture an old lady and you'd have the image. So, through a strangely coincidental story I shall share later I was scrapbooking with my 8th grade PE teacher and was mentioning this pain. She said right away that she thought it was *fasciitis* (sp?)...and she started telling me my symptoms and she was so right it was creepy. Turns out fasciitis is caused by arches falling or feet flattening out and that pulls the Achilles tendon taught...that is what causes the heel pain. She suggested taping my arches up...but what I really did was bought an arch insert and darned if she wasn't right. My heel, although not all the way cured, does feel better.

Still sore though...Jacki and I were talking that maybe it's because Wednesdays are just so busy...you know I go from school straight to church...sometimes with just a short break in between. Phew..it's exhausting!...but not a bad way to spend an evening. It's tiring, they're loud, there's a lot of them...but all the while building relationships with kids and God...Suh-Weet!

Daily Hmm...

You know how they say there is power in words...words mean a lot...choose your words wisely for they may come back to bite you...once you say it you can't get it back...blah blah blah. Blogging, so often especially, makes one think about words. Mark and I even use word choice as a criterion for joke-quality...if there is an efficient use of words then it may make the joke funnier.

But I'm also wondering about the power of word timing, who the words are spoken to, or (even more telling perhaps) who the words are *not* spoken to. You know what I mean? Those things that you think need to be spoken...but you're not sure IF they should be spoken...and if you do speak them who do you speak them to? Because again...once they're out there you can't take them back. *I know this is sounding very convoluted...refer to the "Choices" post from a few weeks ago...this post was precipitated by something but I'm not going to get specific so it's no use trying to figure out the underlying meaning :-)*

Tonight I'm wondering if there are times we feel burdened by info we have and a way to release that burden is sharing said info...only we chicken out and share it with someone who it's easy to share with. In some cases, convincing ourselves that our choice is the right thing to do. When in reality the right thing to do would be to shift who the words are spoken to or not speaking them at all. Yet...now you have shared that info so your burden is TOTALLY taken care of. You've kind of let yourself off the hook of the really difficult thing to say because you've said it...just not to the right person.

This is what I'm wondering about lately :-)

My photo of the day...btw...is of me and our three dogs on the couch. But I still need to load it off my camera...so TO BE CONTINUED :-)

P.S. *patting herself on the back* when I clicked the spell check it came back with "no mis-spellings found"...YAY me :-)

Daily Cut

After giving him the worst time about what a bad patient he was for not letting me help him more I must say I'm pretty proud of Mr. Room 1114. We got there at 6:30...they took him back around 8:50...he was out of recovery around 10:30...and we were home by 4. Plus...he'd yet to take a pain pill until about 20 minutes ago. Seriously...the nurses kept calling him their *rock star* because he was doing so well. The surgery went well too...just as they expected it would and so far he doesn't seem to be feeling the gall bladder pain he'd been experiencing...so it seems to have worked!

It was good to have our minister and his mom with me too. Paul prayed with us before the surgery...that always helps me feel better. And Linda sat with me through the whole surgery...it was a big help because I wasn't so much nervous but the time would've passed so much slower had I not had anyone to talk with. In fact; I'm so glad Paul came and prayed with us because I had anticipated being super nervous and anxious. I usually am in most medical situations...I think my childhood has totally skewed my reactions when it comes to medical issues. So...I was so at ease knowing he was in great hands and knowing he would feel so much better when it was all said and done.

Ahh...now this really was a good day!

Daily Difference

What is the difference between me and all those other teachers who can get ready for a sub in an hour or less? I was at school until almost 5:30 on Friday and then spent another three or four hours getting ready for my sub today and when I got home I still had to email a friend of mine at school because I forgot something...what is the difference?

What is the difference between a life not obsessing about a clean house and a living room I'd be comfortable inviting people into? In my quest to get ready for my sub my living room is still a pig sty...and my poor sick husband will be recovering in a mess.

So...tomorrow is Sean's surgery. It'll be a good day...I'm glad he'll finally be pain free of his gall bladder. I asked him today if he could remember what it even felt like before this chronic pain. I was counting it out today and he's been feeling this way for about a month now.

On my way home from school tonight (notice the darkness outside) I stopped at the recycle center to make a *difference*. At my old school we actively collected recycling. At my new school we don't...but I still do. So, I had to drop off my recycling...it had accumulated to a big bag full so it was definitely time :-)