Well, I've hit the final stretch...the third trimester. Why do I think this will feel like the longest one? I'm feeling okay, but I think the tiredness has returned. I also think this tiredness is combined with the usual tiredness I feel when my body adjusts to starting school again. Anyway, the first item on my agenda when I get home is a nap. Do I really have time to nap? No. But I do it anyway. (That last sentence makes me think of Martina McBride's song "Anyway," except she's talking about big things like loving and dreaming and singing. I just want to nap. Go Martina.)
School is plugging right along. This is my first year without seniors, and I have to admit I'm enjoying the break. Seniors have this certain attitude of "I'm the big, bad senior, so I don't have to do what I don't want to do." I gotta say I'm not missing that. I'm a little disappointed with my two classes of sophomore honors students, and I can't really put my finger on why that is. They all seem like good kids, but both my classes are larger than the honors class I taught last year (last year, I had 13 students, and this year, I have 20+ in each class), and one class--the last class of the day--can be downright obnoxious and loud. Today was a little better, but we still have a ways to go.
My juniors are starting The Crucible tomorrow, and we're reading parts in class. That can either be fun or painful. Cross your fingers for me that it will be the former. I'm looking forward to the line--and fortunately, it takes place early on--when Abigail tells John something along the lines of "Remember when you clutched my back and sweated like a stallion" because that is when the students' interest perks up. :)
Well, speaking of The Crucible, I better start working on my prep. I've taken a nap and I've blogged, so I have no excuses not to work on it. Yay.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Back to School
Today was the "real" first day of school. Overall, it was pretty uneventful, which is good. My seventh period honors class wins the award so far for the loudest class--not bad kids, but they loooooove to talk. Loudly. My quietest and oddest mix of students is my 5th period. I spent most of the class wondering if I should check for a pulse. I guess it's the post-carb-load coma after lunch.
Our school is trying a "standardized dress code" (no jeans, collared or crewneck shirts of certain colors, etc.) this year. I honestly thought it would be a disaster the first day, but surprisingly, most of the students seemed to comply. I'm curious to see how it pans out.
Right after school was over, I was feeling really good, surprisingly energetic. Then on my way home, the exhaustion hit. I had to take a nap this afternoon.
Oh, my glucose test results were normal. That's good. Heaven forbid I cut out starches and sugar.
Our school is trying a "standardized dress code" (no jeans, collared or crewneck shirts of certain colors, etc.) this year. I honestly thought it would be a disaster the first day, but surprisingly, most of the students seemed to comply. I'm curious to see how it pans out.
Right after school was over, I was feeling really good, surprisingly energetic. Then on my way home, the exhaustion hit. I had to take a nap this afternoon.
Oh, my glucose test results were normal. That's good. Heaven forbid I cut out starches and sugar.
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
A long day indeed
Today has been the longest day ever. My day began with the 3-hour glucose test. While it wasn't horrible, it definitely was not the way I would choose to spend my morning. The worst part was that all the blood had to be drawn from one arm (four blood draws total) because the other arm wouldn't produce enough to fill the tube. (Of course, that required another needle prick to determine that.) The good thing is that the lab facility let me leave between blood draws, and Darryl (a.k.a. Husband/Baby Daddy of the Week) came along with me, so we actually drove around and ran errands. That definitely helped break up the time.
After the test, I went to school and worked on this and that. It seems that no matter how much I try to prepare, I end up scrambling at the last minute. For example, I thought I had my schedule set for Thursday and Friday, but I found out yesterday that we may have some kind of assembly Friday where students receive/go through their handbooks. Now I need a Plan B. I'm too tired to think of a Plan B.
From four to six this afternoon/evening, we had Open House. I could actually feel my feet swelling in my shoes. Open House also entails constant smiling and cheerfulness. I wasn't feeling it. Several people touched my stomach. I'm not a fan of the stomach touching. If you are a close friend, I am not offended if you touch my stomach. However, if I don't know you well, please do not touch my stomach. Why do people feel that it is okay to touch a pregnant woman's stomach? People don't touch a non-pregnant woman's stomach. In fact, that would be seen as inappropriate. As we were standing in the hallway, Tim told me that I just needed to go ahead and accept the fact that my female students will touch my stomach. Geez. (How many times can I write "touch my stomach" in one paragraph?)
Let me digress here to say that I truly am excited about this baby, and pregnancy, for the most part, has not been bad (so far). I don't want to sound like an angry, bitter pregnant woman. I'm just amazed at the obsession with the belly...and everyone's apparent entitlement to touch it.
I met Darryl for dinner, and while I was completely famished, I felt as though I could curl up in the booth and go to sleep. Speaking of sleep, I think I'll end this blog now. The bed is calling.
After the test, I went to school and worked on this and that. It seems that no matter how much I try to prepare, I end up scrambling at the last minute. For example, I thought I had my schedule set for Thursday and Friday, but I found out yesterday that we may have some kind of assembly Friday where students receive/go through their handbooks. Now I need a Plan B. I'm too tired to think of a Plan B.
From four to six this afternoon/evening, we had Open House. I could actually feel my feet swelling in my shoes. Open House also entails constant smiling and cheerfulness. I wasn't feeling it. Several people touched my stomach. I'm not a fan of the stomach touching. If you are a close friend, I am not offended if you touch my stomach. However, if I don't know you well, please do not touch my stomach. Why do people feel that it is okay to touch a pregnant woman's stomach? People don't touch a non-pregnant woman's stomach. In fact, that would be seen as inappropriate. As we were standing in the hallway, Tim told me that I just needed to go ahead and accept the fact that my female students will touch my stomach. Geez. (How many times can I write "touch my stomach" in one paragraph?)
Let me digress here to say that I truly am excited about this baby, and pregnancy, for the most part, has not been bad (so far). I don't want to sound like an angry, bitter pregnant woman. I'm just amazed at the obsession with the belly...and everyone's apparent entitlement to touch it.
I met Darryl for dinner, and while I was completely famished, I felt as though I could curl up in the booth and go to sleep. Speaking of sleep, I think I'll end this blog now. The bed is calling.
Friday, August 03, 2007
Comments I've Gotten Today
1. From Tim: When I arrived to school this morning, he said, "Don't take this the wrong way because I don't mean it that way, but you look more pregnant today than you did yesterday." (Sorry, Tim--I had to rat you out! All in fun...)
2. From the registrar at our school: "Wook at de wittle belwy. I wuv pwegnant belwies!" (This was said as she rubbed my stomach. If this woman weren't one of the sweetest people ever, I would have been really annoyed.)
3. From our friend Blake, over dinner: "You still have three months to go? You're going to be HUGE!"
2. From the registrar at our school: "Wook at de wittle belwy. I wuv pwegnant belwies!" (This was said as she rubbed my stomach. If this woman weren't one of the sweetest people ever, I would have been really annoyed.)
3. From our friend Blake, over dinner: "You still have three months to go? You're going to be HUGE!"
Thursday, August 02, 2007
First Day
The alarm sounded harsh this morning at 6:00.
The first day back to school (for teachers, anyway) wasn't too bad. I'm kind of glad to be getting back into a routine. My stomach--which obviously has expanded over the past two months--received a great deal of attention. I hope that's out of the way and we can all move on now. (I'm not too great with being the "focus.") Kim, Tim, and I had a good lunch at a Mexican restaurant. Unfortunately, today was the only full day we had in our classrooms; the rest of the time in our rooms will be an hour here and there between meetings.
On another note, I had a call today from my doctor's office that my glucose test results were "slightly elevated," so I get to have the fun three-hour test Tuesday. I've decided that this will be the real test of whether or not I'm over my needle-phobia; so far, I've done well with all the poking and prodding. Let's hope the streak continues.
Tonight I spent my $100 Teacher Gift Card. I didn't buy anything too exciting--pens, Sharpies, a stapler, and the like. It was fun, though--nothing like buying school supplies courtesy of the state.
The first day back to school (for teachers, anyway) wasn't too bad. I'm kind of glad to be getting back into a routine. My stomach--which obviously has expanded over the past two months--received a great deal of attention. I hope that's out of the way and we can all move on now. (I'm not too great with being the "focus.") Kim, Tim, and I had a good lunch at a Mexican restaurant. Unfortunately, today was the only full day we had in our classrooms; the rest of the time in our rooms will be an hour here and there between meetings.
On another note, I had a call today from my doctor's office that my glucose test results were "slightly elevated," so I get to have the fun three-hour test Tuesday. I've decided that this will be the real test of whether or not I'm over my needle-phobia; so far, I've done well with all the poking and prodding. Let's hope the streak continues.
Tonight I spent my $100 Teacher Gift Card. I didn't buy anything too exciting--pens, Sharpies, a stapler, and the like. It was fun, though--nothing like buying school supplies courtesy of the state.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
She's How Old????
This may seem kind of random, but I almost flipped out the other day when I was browsing through an old magazine and discovered that actress Toni Collette is only a year older than I am. Am I the only one who thought she was...older? (Of course, this starts all those questions like, do I look that old? Does the makeup just make her look old?) No offense to Toni Collette (like she reads this blog or something)--I think she is a really good actress. But seriously...she's only 34??(You can tell I have a lot to think about these days. Maybe it is time for school to start.)
The Last Days of Summer
School starts for teachers on Thursday, so I'm enjoying these last few days of vacation. On one hand, I'm ready for school to start--I'm excited about teaching 10th Grade Honors and 11th Grade American Lit this year, and I'm also excited about having my planning period first period and I also "should" be ending the day on a somewhat positive note because one of my honors classes is the last class of the day. (I say this because for the last two years, my 7th period classes have been not so great--they would leave me feeling defeated at the end of the school day.) All of these things are things I'm looking forward to. I've also been getting a little bored and restless lately, not really wanting to tackle anything that requires effort, but tired of just doing nothing.
On the other hand, I know that once the papers pile up and the grading begins, I'll be ready for a break. And I've enjoyed much of this summer, having occasional lunches with Darryl and other friends, getting the house organized and cleaned out (not fun at the time but feels good now), working on the baby's room, going to the pool, vacationing with family in Pigeon Forge, and relaxing. I've also enjoyed spending time with my girl, Abby:
You can tell that she has enjoyed a lazy summer, too.
So today I plan to have lunch with Darryl, do laundry, and work on some school things, and tomorrow I will have my glucose screening test done (fun, fun!), relax, and then have dinner with my friend Lisa.
Here's to the last days of summer!
On the other hand, I know that once the papers pile up and the grading begins, I'll be ready for a break. And I've enjoyed much of this summer, having occasional lunches with Darryl and other friends, getting the house organized and cleaned out (not fun at the time but feels good now), working on the baby's room, going to the pool, vacationing with family in Pigeon Forge, and relaxing. I've also enjoyed spending time with my girl, Abby:
You can tell that she has enjoyed a lazy summer, too.So today I plan to have lunch with Darryl, do laundry, and work on some school things, and tomorrow I will have my glucose screening test done (fun, fun!), relax, and then have dinner with my friend Lisa.
Here's to the last days of summer!
Sunday, July 29, 2007
This made me laugh and laugh...
Saturday night I was channel surfing and ended up watching an episode on E! of Saturday Night Live featuring a pre-DUI arrest Lindsay Lohan. This Debbie Downer sketch made me laugh so hard that it took me a while to get to sleep! I love it when they get cracked up. It all starts to fall apart about two minutes in and then unravels from there. Enjoy!
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Last Full Week of Vacation
I haven't posted much this week because, frankly, not much has been going on. Here are the highlights:
--I met Kim Thursday for dessert (cake--yum!), and she wanted to know if I ever finished The Shipping News. I did. I thought the book was just okay, but I'm not going to judge it too harshly because seriously, people, my brain is just all over the place. My lack of focus possibly has something to do with my so-so reaction to it. (When a dead body was discovered, I actually had to flip back through the book to find out who it was because I couldn't remember. That's how bad my mind is right now.)
--I bought three pairs of pants. That might not seem like much of a highlight, but if you knew how hard it was to find a decent pair of maternity pants, you'd understand what an accomplishment this is.
--I accomplished some things for school. I now have my honors class planned out for the semester. My next task is to plan American Lit (11th grade) for the semester. (FYI--I'm taking a much-needed break from seniors this year. I've taught 11th before, so I'm not really doing a new prep. I'm looking forward to the change.)
Aside from those three things, I've just been enjoying my last opportunity to relax. I've watched TV (specifically online episodes of Friday Night Lights), played the Wii, taken some naps, gone to the pool. I'm soaking up the last bit of summer I can.
--I met Kim Thursday for dessert (cake--yum!), and she wanted to know if I ever finished The Shipping News. I did. I thought the book was just okay, but I'm not going to judge it too harshly because seriously, people, my brain is just all over the place. My lack of focus possibly has something to do with my so-so reaction to it. (When a dead body was discovered, I actually had to flip back through the book to find out who it was because I couldn't remember. That's how bad my mind is right now.)
--I bought three pairs of pants. That might not seem like much of a highlight, but if you knew how hard it was to find a decent pair of maternity pants, you'd understand what an accomplishment this is.
--I accomplished some things for school. I now have my honors class planned out for the semester. My next task is to plan American Lit (11th grade) for the semester. (FYI--I'm taking a much-needed break from seniors this year. I've taught 11th before, so I'm not really doing a new prep. I'm looking forward to the change.)
Aside from those three things, I've just been enjoying my last opportunity to relax. I've watched TV (specifically online episodes of Friday Night Lights), played the Wii, taken some naps, gone to the pool. I'm soaking up the last bit of summer I can.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
The Beckhams
Am I the only one who doesn't really care that the Beckhams are in America? I'm adding them to the list of people I'm sick of hearing about.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
The Weekend in Review
Darryl and I went to Ingles for a "snack run" this afternoon, and this is what we bought:
I have my glucose test next week...should I be concerned?
Other things of importance this weekend...we are pretty much finished with cleaning/organizing the house. Finally! My original goal was to finish before the weekend, but Darryl informed me that it would be impossible. He was right. It's finished now, though, thank goodness. When the organization guru was on Oprah a couple of weeks ago, he said that most households have "that" room that is never shown to company and always has its door closed. That room was our office, but not any more! Now it is the baby's room, all neat and tidy.
Yesterday we saw Ocean's Thirteen. It was just okay for me, but Darryl seemed to like it. I asked Darryl afterwards if it seemed slow because I was sleepy or if I was sleepy because it was slow. I liked the first two better. (Many people didn't like the second one, but I did.)
I should finish The Shipping News tonight. If I do, I'll consider this past week a success. This coming week, I really, really, really need to focus on school stuff. My main goal is to get my 10th Honors class planned out for the semester. This whole "turning my class over to a sub" thing has me a bit stressed because I have no idea yet who this sub will be. I need to structure my class so I'm leaving the sub with something "doable" for the last six weeks of the semester.
So this is my last full week of vacation. I hope to get in plenty of prep time, pool time, and even nap/reading/TV watching time.
I have my glucose test next week...should I be concerned?Other things of importance this weekend...we are pretty much finished with cleaning/organizing the house. Finally! My original goal was to finish before the weekend, but Darryl informed me that it would be impossible. He was right. It's finished now, though, thank goodness. When the organization guru was on Oprah a couple of weeks ago, he said that most households have "that" room that is never shown to company and always has its door closed. That room was our office, but not any more! Now it is the baby's room, all neat and tidy.
Yesterday we saw Ocean's Thirteen. It was just okay for me, but Darryl seemed to like it. I asked Darryl afterwards if it seemed slow because I was sleepy or if I was sleepy because it was slow. I liked the first two better. (Many people didn't like the second one, but I did.)
I should finish The Shipping News tonight. If I do, I'll consider this past week a success. This coming week, I really, really, really need to focus on school stuff. My main goal is to get my 10th Honors class planned out for the semester. This whole "turning my class over to a sub" thing has me a bit stressed because I have no idea yet who this sub will be. I need to structure my class so I'm leaving the sub with something "doable" for the last six weeks of the semester.
So this is my last full week of vacation. I hope to get in plenty of prep time, pool time, and even nap/reading/TV watching time.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Funk, Furniture, Friday Night Lights, and Harry Potter
I'm just combining it all into one post.
Funk. Yesterday I experienced what Darryl likes to call a "funk." I was just in a bottomless pit of self-pity and despair for about six hours yesterday. Do I really have anything to feel bad about? No. Shouldn't I be thankful for how good life is now? Yes. I'm blaming it on hormones.
Furniture. The dresser/changing table and a nightstand were delivered for the baby's room yesterday. (We don't really need the nightstand right now, but we're kind of thinking "long term" with this furniture. I hope Coretta likes it because she's going to be using it until she's in high school!) That means we have all our furniture except for a glider that probably won't get here for at least another month. I also received the curtain rods I ordered online. Seriously, people, how hard is it to find a white curtain rod? Apparently it's very hard as I looked EVERYWHERE for one and finally had to order one from Target online. Darryl hung the valances last night. Everything is coming together. Once we get a few things on the walls, I'll post some pictures.
Friday Night Lights. Tim and a few other people (and even TV critics) have been singing the praises of this show for quite a while, so I decided to jump on the bandwagon. (How many cliches can I use in one sentence?) I found the episodes on NBC's website, and now I'm hooked. I'm about four episodes into it and really like it so far. While my mother might argue that I already watch too much TV, in all actuality, I don't really have many "series" that I watch. Lost isn't coming back until February (I think), and Gilmore Girls is now over. I think FNL, Grey's, and The Office might be my main shows next year.
Harry Potter.Whenever a new Harry Potter book comes out, I wish I read Harry Potter. I love the excited frenzy everyone gets into over a book--I feel as though I should be a part of it. I haven't read any of the books, and I'm not even sure I would like them, but I feel like I'm missing out. Does that make sense?
Funk. Yesterday I experienced what Darryl likes to call a "funk." I was just in a bottomless pit of self-pity and despair for about six hours yesterday. Do I really have anything to feel bad about? No. Shouldn't I be thankful for how good life is now? Yes. I'm blaming it on hormones.
Furniture. The dresser/changing table and a nightstand were delivered for the baby's room yesterday. (We don't really need the nightstand right now, but we're kind of thinking "long term" with this furniture. I hope Coretta likes it because she's going to be using it until she's in high school!) That means we have all our furniture except for a glider that probably won't get here for at least another month. I also received the curtain rods I ordered online. Seriously, people, how hard is it to find a white curtain rod? Apparently it's very hard as I looked EVERYWHERE for one and finally had to order one from Target online. Darryl hung the valances last night. Everything is coming together. Once we get a few things on the walls, I'll post some pictures.
Friday Night Lights. Tim and a few other people (and even TV critics) have been singing the praises of this show for quite a while, so I decided to jump on the bandwagon. (How many cliches can I use in one sentence?) I found the episodes on NBC's website, and now I'm hooked. I'm about four episodes into it and really like it so far. While my mother might argue that I already watch too much TV, in all actuality, I don't really have many "series" that I watch. Lost isn't coming back until February (I think), and Gilmore Girls is now over. I think FNL, Grey's, and The Office might be my main shows next year.
Harry Potter.Whenever a new Harry Potter book comes out, I wish I read Harry Potter. I love the excited frenzy everyone gets into over a book--I feel as though I should be a part of it. I haven't read any of the books, and I'm not even sure I would like them, but I feel like I'm missing out. Does that make sense?
Monday, July 16, 2007
Goals for the Week (and More on Big Daddy)
I realized that I failed to conclude the story of Big Daddy, the not-so-bright student in the Labor and Delivery class. The third week of our class, which happened to be the day after the 4th, Big Daddy and his wife weren't there, but several other couples were out too, I guess because of the holiday. Well, our last class was this past Thursday, and Big Daddy was back, but he was different: cleanly shaven and quiet, no stupid questions. Darryl and I determined that he really was stoned the first two classes. (Seriously...we think he was smoking the Mary Jane out in the parking lot or something.) And that's it for Big Daddy.
I had a rude awakening this morning when I actually looked at a calendar to see how many days left until school starts. Not many. Not only do I need to get some things accomplished, but I also need to work on being more active or else school is going to DEMOLISH me by the end of the first week. I need goals for this week. Here they are:
1--I want the house back in order by the end of the week.
2--I need to finish The Shipping News. (How long can it take Amy to read a book?)
3--I need to get up at a decent hour--oh, let's say 7:00--this week. I've been sleeping until 8, people.
4--I need to cook dinner every night until the weekend. No more relying on Chick-fil-a or Sonic or pizza to bail me out of cooking. :)
I would also post something about needing to walk for exercise every day, but let's not push it. Maybe that can be a goal for next week.
I had a rude awakening this morning when I actually looked at a calendar to see how many days left until school starts. Not many. Not only do I need to get some things accomplished, but I also need to work on being more active or else school is going to DEMOLISH me by the end of the first week. I need goals for this week. Here they are:
1--I want the house back in order by the end of the week.
2--I need to finish The Shipping News. (How long can it take Amy to read a book?)
3--I need to get up at a decent hour--oh, let's say 7:00--this week. I've been sleeping until 8, people.
4--I need to cook dinner every night until the weekend. No more relying on Chick-fil-a or Sonic or pizza to bail me out of cooking. :)
I would also post something about needing to walk for exercise every day, but let's not push it. Maybe that can be a goal for next week.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Saturday the 14th
We now have carpet! It looks really good, much better than what we had. I'm not bothering to post pictures because it isn't THAT exciting.
While the carpet was being installed, I went to a movie. I wasn't really in a movie mood, but I needed a way to pass the time. (Darryl was afraid the dust/carpet-dye smell might get to me.) I wanted a comedy, and I wanted something with an easy-to-follow plot because I don't have much concentration and focus these days. I decided to see License to Wed with Robin Williams, Mandy Moore, and the dude who plays Jim on The Office. (I'm too lazy to look up how to spell his last name.) It's not a great movie...definitely a rental. It has a few funny moments, and it does feature some of my favorite actors from The Office, and I do like Mandy Moore...
Last night, we had dinner at Maggiano's with Darryl's Uncle Sandy and Aunt Carol Sue. It was really good to see them again. They come to Atlanta once or twice a year, and we all try to get together when they come up.
Today we're going to try to get our house back together again. (Jen, right now, our house is similar to that house on Oprah the other day because we have junk from all the bedrooms in the garage and in the living room!) Lots of fun!
While the carpet was being installed, I went to a movie. I wasn't really in a movie mood, but I needed a way to pass the time. (Darryl was afraid the dust/carpet-dye smell might get to me.) I wanted a comedy, and I wanted something with an easy-to-follow plot because I don't have much concentration and focus these days. I decided to see License to Wed with Robin Williams, Mandy Moore, and the dude who plays Jim on The Office. (I'm too lazy to look up how to spell his last name.) It's not a great movie...definitely a rental. It has a few funny moments, and it does feature some of my favorite actors from The Office, and I do like Mandy Moore...
Last night, we had dinner at Maggiano's with Darryl's Uncle Sandy and Aunt Carol Sue. It was really good to see them again. They come to Atlanta once or twice a year, and we all try to get together when they come up.
Today we're going to try to get our house back together again. (Jen, right now, our house is similar to that house on Oprah the other day because we have junk from all the bedrooms in the garage and in the living room!) Lots of fun!
Friday, July 13, 2007
Friday the 13th
We have no carpet.
The lovely business who installs carpet for Home Depot insists that we called this morning and cancelled our installation. That is not true. When Darryl went to Home Depot to complain, Home Depot basically said that they have never had a problem with this company, and apparently the company thinks Darryl and I are lying about calling this morning. They're supposed to come in the morning, but that doesn't take away from the fact that Darryl took off a day from work today and that we've been accused of lying. Whatever.
On the upside, though, and more importantly, I had a doctor's (or, to be more specific, a midwife's) appointment this morning and everything is going well. She even said my weight gain is fine! Even better! To celebrate, I had a brownie.
The lovely business who installs carpet for Home Depot insists that we called this morning and cancelled our installation. That is not true. When Darryl went to Home Depot to complain, Home Depot basically said that they have never had a problem with this company, and apparently the company thinks Darryl and I are lying about calling this morning. They're supposed to come in the morning, but that doesn't take away from the fact that Darryl took off a day from work today and that we've been accused of lying. Whatever.
On the upside, though, and more importantly, I had a doctor's (or, to be more specific, a midwife's) appointment this morning and everything is going well. She even said my weight gain is fine! Even better! To celebrate, I had a brownie.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Cleaning and Organizing Woes
Our carpet is being installed tomorrow--yay!--but I really hate doing all the work it takes beforehand...cleaning out drawers, bookshelves, closets, etc. When all is said an done, our house should be, for the most part, all nicely cleaned and organized.
I don't know if anyone saw Oprah the other day when she had on the organization guru. Anyway, he talked about how we tend to hold on to lots of stuff for sentimental reasons, but we don't really DO anything with those items, so they might as well be tossed. He also said that if we go through a pile and hesitate on whether or not we should keep something, we probably shouldn't keep it. That inspired me to throw away a lot of college T-shirts that I had been saving in a drawer (saving for what, I don't know), and I also am sending lots of things to Goodwill, things I probably should have sent long before now.
I've moved on to my closet, which has really become a hazard zone with all the shoes in the floor. Here's the thing about me and shoe racks: I like the idea of a shoe rack, but in all honesty, I don't use them, and they end up just taking up space. I'm thinking about just getting a few crates--one for black shoes, one for brown, and one for everything else. At least that will get them out of the middle of the closet floor.
For the record, I am not "nesting." My impression of nesting is that it is more out of a driven want or need to get things "settled." I pretty much feel anything but driven these days.
I don't know if anyone saw Oprah the other day when she had on the organization guru. Anyway, he talked about how we tend to hold on to lots of stuff for sentimental reasons, but we don't really DO anything with those items, so they might as well be tossed. He also said that if we go through a pile and hesitate on whether or not we should keep something, we probably shouldn't keep it. That inspired me to throw away a lot of college T-shirts that I had been saving in a drawer (saving for what, I don't know), and I also am sending lots of things to Goodwill, things I probably should have sent long before now.
I've moved on to my closet, which has really become a hazard zone with all the shoes in the floor. Here's the thing about me and shoe racks: I like the idea of a shoe rack, but in all honesty, I don't use them, and they end up just taking up space. I'm thinking about just getting a few crates--one for black shoes, one for brown, and one for everything else. At least that will get them out of the middle of the closet floor.
For the record, I am not "nesting." My impression of nesting is that it is more out of a driven want or need to get things "settled." I pretty much feel anything but driven these days.
Monday, July 09, 2007
Comfort Foods
I had really been wanting some spaghetti, and I was just going to make the same old spaghetti I usually make, but then I ran across Paula Deen's Baked Spaghetti and decided to give it a try. I thought it was delicious. (Darryl isn't a huge spaghetti fan, so he wasn't turning cartwheels over it or anything. Trust me, though--it was good.) If you ever decide to make it, I would suggest making the layer of sauce on the bottom very scant because I really didn't have enough sauce for the top layer.
I also love cake, and I've really been into the cupcake thing lately...not sure why. I made these a few weeks ago and they were a hit with Darryl, me, and some of his coworkers, so I decided to make them again. I confess that the cake is Duncan Hines mix. The frosting is from the recipe on the Nestle cocoa container. Delicious!
Saturday, July 07, 2007
Vanity Post
I'm just in a posting mood today, I guess...I've had a few requests for a profile shot, so here you go. I'm 22 weeks. I have 18 (at least) to go. I'm going to be huge. I'm not going to sweat it, though. I've already decided that as soon as I feel physically recovered after the baby is born, I'm taking myself to the local Weight Watchers, a la Jenny McCarthy, to get the baby weight off.
I'm excited about two recent purchases. First, I finally found some jeans that I love from Gap Maternity. I've searched for weeks for some jeans, but nothing seemed to fit right. Gap was having an online sale this past weekend, so I decided to order two pairs and just take back what didn't fit. (That's something I love about Gap Online...I can just return everything to the store instead of having to mail it.) Well, both pairs fit. One pair fits well now, but I think the other pair, which is a bit looser, will fit just right in a couple of months. Hallelujah!
Also, I have Rosacea, something I've had for about ten years or so. Pregnancy certainly hasn't helped it, but I found a skin care line at Kohl's--Good Skin--that has products for red, irritated skin. I bought a starter kit yesterday, and so far, I'm encouraged. I've noticed an improvement already.
I'm not really sure why I posted all that--I think that women just like to share when they find some good products! There's nothing like the high that comes after a good shopping experience. :)
Democratic Dreams
Last night, I had one of those nights where I dreamed all night long. While I can recall about six or seven of them, here are the two most interesting:
1--I dreamed that I was having dinner around a square table in the backyard of my childhood home with my parents, Al Gore, and actress Jennifer Connelly. (She was in several of my dreams--one that included us going to church together in my hometown, and another that had us drinking coffee at Starbucks together. Not sure what's up with that.)
2--I dreamed I was playing board games and smoking cigars with Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and another presidential hopeful I can't remember.
Any attempts at analysis are welcome! :)
1--I dreamed that I was having dinner around a square table in the backyard of my childhood home with my parents, Al Gore, and actress Jennifer Connelly. (She was in several of my dreams--one that included us going to church together in my hometown, and another that had us drinking coffee at Starbucks together. Not sure what's up with that.)
2--I dreamed I was playing board games and smoking cigars with Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and another presidential hopeful I can't remember.
Any attempts at analysis are welcome! :)
Pic of my Dr. Scholl's shoes, per Jessica's request
My friend Jessica, who is a very fashion-forward shoe fan, wanted to see my Dr. Scholl's tennis shoes. Can we still be friends, Jessica, even though I own a pair of these? I did at least try to get the cutest offering in the Dr. Scholl's selection!
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Baby Registries, Tennis Shoes, and More
Darryl and I (well, mostly Darryl) have really been getting a lot done with baby stuff. Darryl painted the baby's room this weekend, and it looks great. (We're getting new carpet installed some time in the next week or so, so he wanted to paint before then.)
Saturday, we registered at Babies R' Us and Target. (I'm not saying that as a plug for gifts, trust me; I'm just detailing our progress.) Wow, was that a project. We already had a good idea of what we wanted, but still. It took about three hours, and we had to take a nap afterwards to recover. While it was kind of fun, I'm glad that has been checked off the list.
Yesterday, I cashed in whatever coolness I had when I bought a pair of Dr. Scholl's tennis shoes. I decided that I really need to be doing some walking and mild exercise so that I don't turn into a complete slug, but my hideously swollen feet won't fit into any "regular" tennis shoes. My Dr. Scholl's aren't very pretty, but they are slip-on (yay!) and have more flexibility than Nikes and the like. I don't know what I'm going to do when school starts--seriously, I may be wearing flip-flops with everything.
Is there such a thing as Pregnancy ADD? I have been reading the same book--The Shipping News--for six weeks. I like it, but I just am not in in the mindframe to read a book with a plot, nor do I have the focus to watch a 2-hour movie. What's wrong with me?
Saturday, we registered at Babies R' Us and Target. (I'm not saying that as a plug for gifts, trust me; I'm just detailing our progress.) Wow, was that a project. We already had a good idea of what we wanted, but still. It took about three hours, and we had to take a nap afterwards to recover. While it was kind of fun, I'm glad that has been checked off the list.
Yesterday, I cashed in whatever coolness I had when I bought a pair of Dr. Scholl's tennis shoes. I decided that I really need to be doing some walking and mild exercise so that I don't turn into a complete slug, but my hideously swollen feet won't fit into any "regular" tennis shoes. My Dr. Scholl's aren't very pretty, but they are slip-on (yay!) and have more flexibility than Nikes and the like. I don't know what I'm going to do when school starts--seriously, I may be wearing flip-flops with everything.
Is there such a thing as Pregnancy ADD? I have been reading the same book--The Shipping News--for six weeks. I like it, but I just am not in in the mindframe to read a book with a plot, nor do I have the focus to watch a 2-hour movie. What's wrong with me?
Friday, June 29, 2007
Joel Siegel
I just found out that film critic Joel Siegel died. I'm a huge fan of Good Morning America (I love Robin Roberts and Diane Sawyer--and I miss Charlie Gibson), and Siegel just seemed like another good-natured (but tough!) member of their team. In fact, he was on the show just a couple of weeks ago, reviewing Ocean's 13, so I assumed that he was in good health these days.
Anyway...
Anyway...
I'm adding a third person to my list...
Not only am I sick of hearing about Paris Hilton and Rosie O'Donnell, but I'm also sick of hearing about...
3. Isaiah Washington (from Grey's Anatomy)
He isn't gettin the TV news coverage that the others are, but the story of his firing from Grey's is permeating all the entertainment mags and websites. I'm done with him.
3. Isaiah Washington (from Grey's Anatomy)
He isn't gettin the TV news coverage that the others are, but the story of his firing from Grey's is permeating all the entertainment mags and websites. I'm done with him.
More from the mouth of Big Daddy
Darryl and I had our second class last night. Big Daddy and his significant other were a few minutes late, and I was a bit hopeful that they wouldn't show up. But no, they came, and this time, Big Daddy was wearing a skull cap/'do rag.
Big Daddy didn't have as many questions this week, but he did have one moment of, um, "brilliance."
The teacher was telling us about what happens immediately after the baby is born, and she mentioned that the baby gets a shot of Vitamin K very soon after birth.
Big Daddy raised his hand and said, "Yeah...speaking of shots, did you hear about that wrestler that killed his wife and kid, but he was giving his son steroid shots?" (What a connection there, dude--Vitamin K, steroids...virtually the same thing, right?) Several of the men (Darryl included) got up immediately and left the room because they were about to lose it. The teacher just quickly acknowledged the tragedy and then dismissed all of us for a break.
Another thing about Big Daddy--he is constantly leaving the room. He'll stay for about fifteen minutes and then leave for about ten. Last night, his eyes were half-closed most of the night. I really wonder what he's doing when he leaves the room...smoking a joint, maybe? Odd.
Big Daddy didn't have as many questions this week, but he did have one moment of, um, "brilliance."
The teacher was telling us about what happens immediately after the baby is born, and she mentioned that the baby gets a shot of Vitamin K very soon after birth.
Big Daddy raised his hand and said, "Yeah...speaking of shots, did you hear about that wrestler that killed his wife and kid, but he was giving his son steroid shots?" (What a connection there, dude--Vitamin K, steroids...virtually the same thing, right?) Several of the men (Darryl included) got up immediately and left the room because they were about to lose it. The teacher just quickly acknowledged the tragedy and then dismissed all of us for a break.
Another thing about Big Daddy--he is constantly leaving the room. He'll stay for about fifteen minutes and then leave for about ten. Last night, his eyes were half-closed most of the night. I really wonder what he's doing when he leaves the room...smoking a joint, maybe? Odd.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Back from the mountains
Saturday, Darryl and I left with my parents for a cabin in the mountains near Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg. My aunt Winifred; cousin Andy and his wife, Leigh, and daughter, Lily; and Aunt Winifred's nephew Clint were staying in another cabin about a mile from us. We had a great time hanging out together and having a good, relaxing time. Unfortunately, I took very few pictures (I'm terrible), so I don't really have any good photos to show.
Sunday, we all went to Dollywood. I wasn't really sure what to expect from Dollywood. Country schtick aside, it is a really nice amusement park. It had quite a few rides for adventurous adults and older kids, and Lily seemed to enjoy the kids' section. This was my first venture to an amusement park when I couldn't ride anything, so that was a bit different. I ended up being "that person" that held eveyone's wallets, cell phones, and such. The park was very clean, and the food was VERY good. I had fried chicken for lunch, and then I had ham and pinto beans, turnip greens, and blackberry cobbler for dinner. Delicious! There were also stands selling fare such as fried green tomatoes, sausage sandwiches, ice cream with fresh berries...not your typical amusement park food.
Monday and Tuesday, we went to various places around Pigeon Forge and spent time shopping and eating. In the evenings, we just stayed in the cabins, playing Wii bowling and various board games.
And that brings me to today and our trek home. We made a spontaneous stop in Athens, Tennessee, at the Mayfield Dairy. While the tours were closed, we still managed to have some good ice cream. I had the Extreme Moose Tracks; I was really wanting some serious chocolate, and that really hit the spot.
All in all, it was a nice little vacation. I will be more than happy to sleep in my own bed tonight, though!
Sunday, we all went to Dollywood. I wasn't really sure what to expect from Dollywood. Country schtick aside, it is a really nice amusement park. It had quite a few rides for adventurous adults and older kids, and Lily seemed to enjoy the kids' section. This was my first venture to an amusement park when I couldn't ride anything, so that was a bit different. I ended up being "that person" that held eveyone's wallets, cell phones, and such. The park was very clean, and the food was VERY good. I had fried chicken for lunch, and then I had ham and pinto beans, turnip greens, and blackberry cobbler for dinner. Delicious! There were also stands selling fare such as fried green tomatoes, sausage sandwiches, ice cream with fresh berries...not your typical amusement park food.
Monday and Tuesday, we went to various places around Pigeon Forge and spent time shopping and eating. In the evenings, we just stayed in the cabins, playing Wii bowling and various board games.
And that brings me to today and our trek home. We made a spontaneous stop in Athens, Tennessee, at the Mayfield Dairy. While the tours were closed, we still managed to have some good ice cream. I had the Extreme Moose Tracks; I was really wanting some serious chocolate, and that really hit the spot.
All in all, it was a nice little vacation. I will be more than happy to sleep in my own bed tonight, though!
Saturday, June 23, 2007
My Father and the Wii
I probably won't post for a few days; Darryl and I are going with my parents to a cabin in the mountains and will be back Wednesday.
Last night, Darryl showed my dad how to bowl on the Wii, and this morning, my dad asked if we could take the Wii with us to the cabin. :)
Last night, Darryl showed my dad how to bowl on the Wii, and this morning, my dad asked if we could take the Wii with us to the cabin. :)
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Poor Anteaters
Well, the Anteaters didn't make it last night. My interest in the CWS has waned, so I guess I was really addicted to the Anteaters instead of the series itself.
Big Daddy the Clueless One
(Before I begin this post, I want again to clarify that I'm not turning this into an "all baby" blog, but this story is too good to pass up.)
So Darryl and I are taking a Labor & Delivery class, and our first meeting was tonight. (The class meets one night a week for four weeks.) Yes, we know it is early in the game, but this class would be really difficult to do once school starts, and it is something I can check off the "to do" list.
Our class is made up of about nine couples, and it is just like the classes you see on TV--mats on the floor, teacher who talks in a soothing voice...the whole shebang.
Anyway, one of the couples is this guy and girl who look like they are in their mid-20s, and he had kind of a scruffy look and was wearing a ball cap. (Darryl noticed later that his nametag had his real name, and then under that he had written "Big Daddy.")
The teacher started mentioning everything we would cover in class, and she said that at some point we would talk about C-sections so we would know what to expect in case any of us have to have one.
Big Daddy's hand shot up in the air.
Big Daddy: I have a question about C-sections. How many births are C-sections?
Teacher: About one in four.
Big Daddy: Wow. Really?
Teacher: Yes.
Big Daddy: Is it true that a woman has to have a C-section if she has an STD?
(Big Daddy's significant other turns red, says something through her teeth, and punches him in the leg.)
Seriously, y'all--I was embarrassed for the girl. I could feel my face turning red when he asked that question. Couldn't that have been a question saved for, oh, the doctor or after class?
(I also feel the need to add here that I'm not judging anyone for having an STD, but I seriously doubt that is how a person would like to be introduced to a group of strangers that the person is stuck with for four weeks.)
Then, about 10 minutes later when we had to introduce ourselves, he made some comment like, "We ain't known each other very long." Okay.
Big Daddy continued to ask questions for the duration of the class, ranging from "Is breastfeeding hard?" to "If a baby is breech and starts coming out and the doctor has to do a C-section, do they just cram the legs back in?"
I think it is going to be an interesting class. And I have a feeling that I will have future posts about Big Daddy.
So Darryl and I are taking a Labor & Delivery class, and our first meeting was tonight. (The class meets one night a week for four weeks.) Yes, we know it is early in the game, but this class would be really difficult to do once school starts, and it is something I can check off the "to do" list.
Our class is made up of about nine couples, and it is just like the classes you see on TV--mats on the floor, teacher who talks in a soothing voice...the whole shebang.
Anyway, one of the couples is this guy and girl who look like they are in their mid-20s, and he had kind of a scruffy look and was wearing a ball cap. (Darryl noticed later that his nametag had his real name, and then under that he had written "Big Daddy.")
The teacher started mentioning everything we would cover in class, and she said that at some point we would talk about C-sections so we would know what to expect in case any of us have to have one.
Big Daddy's hand shot up in the air.
Big Daddy: I have a question about C-sections. How many births are C-sections?
Teacher: About one in four.
Big Daddy: Wow. Really?
Teacher: Yes.
Big Daddy: Is it true that a woman has to have a C-section if she has an STD?
(Big Daddy's significant other turns red, says something through her teeth, and punches him in the leg.)
Seriously, y'all--I was embarrassed for the girl. I could feel my face turning red when he asked that question. Couldn't that have been a question saved for, oh, the doctor or after class?
(I also feel the need to add here that I'm not judging anyone for having an STD, but I seriously doubt that is how a person would like to be introduced to a group of strangers that the person is stuck with for four weeks.)
Then, about 10 minutes later when we had to introduce ourselves, he made some comment like, "We ain't known each other very long." Okay.
Big Daddy continued to ask questions for the duration of the class, ranging from "Is breastfeeding hard?" to "If a baby is breech and starts coming out and the doctor has to do a C-section, do they just cram the legs back in?"
I think it is going to be an interesting class. And I have a feeling that I will have future posts about Big Daddy.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Randomness
I had a bit of a reality check when I went to the dentist yesterday. As the hygienist was scheduling my next appointment for January, she asked what time I'd like to come in. Just before I blurted out some random time, I realized that I needed to schedule a time when someone could watch the baby. Yikes. (I ended up taking the last appointment time of the day Darryl could leave work a little early to watch Coretta Scott.)
I think I might be addicted to the College World Series. I'm pulling for UC Irvine's Anteaters. They've never been to the CWS before and are the underdog. I stayed up until after 11 last night (which is late for me these days) to see how the nailbiter between them and Arizona turned out. (Both were facing elimination--how exciting!)
I had ice cream (after my dental appointment!) with Kim and enjoyed visiting with her. She has already bought Coretta the cutest toile outfit! (I also enjoyed my double-dark chocolate ice cream with a Reese's cup mix-in.)
Oh, Tim and Max, Darryl's coworkers like the name Coretta Scott, but they also have another suggestion: Hilary Rodham.
I think I might be addicted to the College World Series. I'm pulling for UC Irvine's Anteaters. They've never been to the CWS before and are the underdog. I stayed up until after 11 last night (which is late for me these days) to see how the nailbiter between them and Arizona turned out. (Both were facing elimination--how exciting!)
I had ice cream (after my dental appointment!) with Kim and enjoyed visiting with her. She has already bought Coretta the cutest toile outfit! (I also enjoyed my double-dark chocolate ice cream with a Reese's cup mix-in.)
Oh, Tim and Max, Darryl's coworkers like the name Coretta Scott, but they also have another suggestion: Hilary Rodham.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Progress
I promise not to turn this into an all-baby, all-the-time blog, but I just had to report our progress. Apparently, finding out the baby's gender has spurred us into action. Since Friday, we have done the following:
1--We bought baby furniture. We had an idea of what we wanted if we were having a boy, and we knew what we wanted if we were having a girl. Anyway, our plan was to find a crib and order it, but the place had it in stock already, so we figured we might as well take it. It is now in a box in the garage. Because the crib is white and therefore pretty easy to match, we decided to buy the dresser (also to be used as a changing table) and a nightstand (to be used when Baby Girl is older and for us to use now as a table next to the yet-to-be-purchased rocker) at a regular furniture store at a much lower price. Even though the store had those in stock, we were able to have them put to the side in the warehouse so that we weren't completely overwhelmed with furniture! (Another plus--all of this was well within our "baby furniture budget." Yea!)
2--Darryl finished building the shed behind our fence, so we have begun moving stuff from the garage to the shed, and stuff from our office to the garage. The baby's room will be what is currently our office, but now that we are both on laptops, we really don't need an office anymore. We just need a place to put our filing cabinet and a few other necessities.
3--We have found some carpet. We have carpet just in the three bedrooms, and it looks terrible, thanks to our dog, Abby. (I'll just say she has come a long way in housetraining since we moved into the house.) We were pretty much planning to replace it anyway because we want to sell our house in a couple of years, but while we're cleaning out/moving things around, we figure we might as well do it now. (And yes, I realize the baby will make her own stains on the carpet, but the carpet we have selected is darker than what we have now AND is stain resistant. I also think we may be getting a rug for the baby's room, just to be safe.)
You probably didn't find this post fascinating, but I'm really proud of our progress so far. I have to confess that Darryl has done most of the work, but I'm pitching in where I can. Our goal is to have the office emptied this week--if we can accomplish that, we are in good shape. I really want to get as much done as possible before school starts again.
1--We bought baby furniture. We had an idea of what we wanted if we were having a boy, and we knew what we wanted if we were having a girl. Anyway, our plan was to find a crib and order it, but the place had it in stock already, so we figured we might as well take it. It is now in a box in the garage. Because the crib is white and therefore pretty easy to match, we decided to buy the dresser (also to be used as a changing table) and a nightstand (to be used when Baby Girl is older and for us to use now as a table next to the yet-to-be-purchased rocker) at a regular furniture store at a much lower price. Even though the store had those in stock, we were able to have them put to the side in the warehouse so that we weren't completely overwhelmed with furniture! (Another plus--all of this was well within our "baby furniture budget." Yea!)
2--Darryl finished building the shed behind our fence, so we have begun moving stuff from the garage to the shed, and stuff from our office to the garage. The baby's room will be what is currently our office, but now that we are both on laptops, we really don't need an office anymore. We just need a place to put our filing cabinet and a few other necessities.
3--We have found some carpet. We have carpet just in the three bedrooms, and it looks terrible, thanks to our dog, Abby. (I'll just say she has come a long way in housetraining since we moved into the house.) We were pretty much planning to replace it anyway because we want to sell our house in a couple of years, but while we're cleaning out/moving things around, we figure we might as well do it now. (And yes, I realize the baby will make her own stains on the carpet, but the carpet we have selected is darker than what we have now AND is stain resistant. I also think we may be getting a rug for the baby's room, just to be safe.)
You probably didn't find this post fascinating, but I'm really proud of our progress so far. I have to confess that Darryl has done most of the work, but I'm pitching in where I can. Our goal is to have the office emptied this week--if we can accomplish that, we are in good shape. I really want to get as much done as possible before school starts again.
Friday, June 15, 2007
It's a . . .
GIRL!!!!!!
Darryl and I are really excited! This pic is my favorite because it looks as though she is shaking her fist in the air. Yeah!
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
One Life to Live: The Musical
This post is mainly for Kim and Tim because I thought they would get a kick out of this...
While flipping through the channels today, I saw a promo for a special episode of One Life to Live--a "prom musical" that is airing Friday. I tried to find the promo on You Tube, but all I could find was this video, which may be even "better" than the promo.
This production apparently has it all: zippy choreography, romantic tension, teen angst, a positive message, a high school setting, a rivalry...shall I go on????
I know Kim will tune in; she LOVES pop musicals!!
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Babies, babies, babies
That was definitely the theme for yesterday.
My friend Jessica, who has a year-old son, was kind enough to take me through Babies R' Us, showing me some useful things, giving much-needed advice, and so on. I think between Jessica's recommendations and my favorite baby book, Baby Bargains, I am in pretty good shape when it finally comes time to register.
Last night, I became obsessed with looking up nursery themes/bedding online. I think it is amazing how I have a knack for picking out and liking the most expensive collections BEFORE I ever see the price. After some searching, though, I found some things I really like at reasonable prices. I'm just waiting for Friday, when I'll finally know the gender!
In the midst of my online search, I realized what was playing in the background on the TV--VH1 had some show on about the cutest celeb babies. (#1 was Britney Spears's Sean Preston, but I think my vote would have to go to Suri Cruise or Gwen Stefani's son, Kingston.)
So I completely felt immersed in all things baby yesterday. I have a feeling this is just the beginning...
My friend Jessica, who has a year-old son, was kind enough to take me through Babies R' Us, showing me some useful things, giving much-needed advice, and so on. I think between Jessica's recommendations and my favorite baby book, Baby Bargains, I am in pretty good shape when it finally comes time to register.
Last night, I became obsessed with looking up nursery themes/bedding online. I think it is amazing how I have a knack for picking out and liking the most expensive collections BEFORE I ever see the price. After some searching, though, I found some things I really like at reasonable prices. I'm just waiting for Friday, when I'll finally know the gender!
In the midst of my online search, I realized what was playing in the background on the TV--VH1 had some show on about the cutest celeb babies. (#1 was Britney Spears's Sean Preston, but I think my vote would have to go to Suri Cruise or Gwen Stefani's son, Kingston.)
So I completely felt immersed in all things baby yesterday. I have a feeling this is just the beginning...
Saturday, June 09, 2007
The Secret Life of Bees
I finished The Secret Life of Bees this morning. I really, really liked this book. I've noticed that it is appearing on more and more Honors reading lists (along with Life of Pi and The Kite Runner); I'm not sure I would ever assign it as a book I would teach to the whole class, but it might be a good contemporary lit option for independent reading.I like the characters, the plot, the message, the setting, and the voice of the book. (I also found some of the beekeeping stuff pretty interesting.) My only complaint about the book is that sometimes it seemed to beat a dead horse a few too many times--Lily's longing for her mother, her emptiness inside...it is central to the book, but I think it is something that Kidd doesn't have to keep being quite as overt about. Other than that, though, I would recommend this one.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Darryl, a.k.a. Superman
Darryl and I work in the kids' program (department, whatever you want to call it) at our church--Darryl's job is to pass out candy to kids as they walk in, and I work at the registration desk. Anyway, our church does this thing for kids every summer called "Summer Craze," and the theme is "Superheroes." As you can probably tell from the picture, part of the attire includes a red Superman cape. Darryl was oh-so-happy when he was told that although there weren't enough capes for all the workers to wear one, the "candy man" MUST wear the cape. (Jen, does Luke have one of these?)Darryl also did not want me to post this picture. Oh, well...I think he looks smashing in this cape. The more I look at this picture, though, the more it makes me laugh. Darryl looks almost forlorn, holding his bucket of candy in one hand, very unthrilled to be wearing the satin cape. Ha.
Paris...Out Already
Ridiculous...but should anyone be surprised?
I'm sick of people not having to take responsibility for their actions. This is a huge problem with students at my school (dare I say that?), but I think it is just a huge problem in our country, period.
Okay, enough about that.
P.S. This should be my one and only post, ever, related to Paris H. :)
I'm sick of people not having to take responsibility for their actions. This is a huge problem with students at my school (dare I say that?), but I think it is just a huge problem in our country, period.
Okay, enough about that.
P.S. This should be my one and only post, ever, related to Paris H. :)
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
My summer vacation...so far
I haven't posted this week because there really hasn't been much to post about. I'm enjoying being off from school, but I've pretty much been a lazy bum most days. Here's a rundown of things that have happened or things that I've done when I haven't been lounging on the couch. :)
1) Darryl returned home from a business trip. Darryl went to South Africa for a business trip for two weeks and returned Saturday. I'm really glad he's back. (I had pretty much exhausted all conversation topics with the dog, anyway.)
2) Darryl and I saw Shrek the Third. It was okay, but I didn't think it was as good as the first two.
3) I've had to do fun medical stuff. Monday, I was convinced I had a urinary tract infection. (Is that TMI? I don't think so, right? It's a fairly common, talked-about ailment.) After spending three-plus hours driving to the doctor, waiting for the doctor, and driving back from the doctor, it turns out that it is highly likely I do NOT have a UTI. Tuesday, I had to have blood work done at a lab (not related to the UTI--this was a routine screening test). I've been pretty proud of myself with all this needle-sticking I've gone through in the past year. Some of you may know that I do not have a good track record with needles and such, but, knock on wood, I have had no issues so far. Maybe I'm finally turning into a big girl. (Look, that's true in more ways than one these days.)
4) I've finally gotten back to cooking on a consistent basis. I'll be honest--Darryl and I have definitely done much more eating out than eating in since I found out I was pregnant. At first, this was because my tastes seemed to change with the hour and there was no way to plan a menu, but then it just turned into "I don't feel like cooking" blahs. Now that school is out, though, and my tastes are somewhat more consistent, I have no excuses. Last night I fixed a pretty good Paula Deen pepper steak recipe (with blueberry cobbler for dessert!), and tonight I'm having good ol' meatloaf and mashed potatoes.
5) I watched The Queen and really enjoyed it. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. I confess that I was completely obsessed with Diana's death when it happened (yes, I actually woke up at the ungodly hour to watch the funeral live), and it was really neat (for lack of a better word) to see a "behind the scenes" look at the royal family and the relationship between the Queen and Tony Blair. I also see why Helen Mirren racked up during awards season.
That's about it.
1) Darryl returned home from a business trip. Darryl went to South Africa for a business trip for two weeks and returned Saturday. I'm really glad he's back. (I had pretty much exhausted all conversation topics with the dog, anyway.)
2) Darryl and I saw Shrek the Third. It was okay, but I didn't think it was as good as the first two.
3) I've had to do fun medical stuff. Monday, I was convinced I had a urinary tract infection. (Is that TMI? I don't think so, right? It's a fairly common, talked-about ailment.) After spending three-plus hours driving to the doctor, waiting for the doctor, and driving back from the doctor, it turns out that it is highly likely I do NOT have a UTI. Tuesday, I had to have blood work done at a lab (not related to the UTI--this was a routine screening test). I've been pretty proud of myself with all this needle-sticking I've gone through in the past year. Some of you may know that I do not have a good track record with needles and such, but, knock on wood, I have had no issues so far. Maybe I'm finally turning into a big girl. (Look, that's true in more ways than one these days.)
4) I've finally gotten back to cooking on a consistent basis. I'll be honest--Darryl and I have definitely done much more eating out than eating in since I found out I was pregnant. At first, this was because my tastes seemed to change with the hour and there was no way to plan a menu, but then it just turned into "I don't feel like cooking" blahs. Now that school is out, though, and my tastes are somewhat more consistent, I have no excuses. Last night I fixed a pretty good Paula Deen pepper steak recipe (with blueberry cobbler for dessert!), and tonight I'm having good ol' meatloaf and mashed potatoes.
5) I watched The Queen and really enjoyed it. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. I confess that I was completely obsessed with Diana's death when it happened (yes, I actually woke up at the ungodly hour to watch the funeral live), and it was really neat (for lack of a better word) to see a "behind the scenes" look at the royal family and the relationship between the Queen and Tony Blair. I also see why Helen Mirren racked up during awards season.
That's about it.
Friday, June 01, 2007
Summer Vacation Officially Begins!
After a week (!) of post-planning, summer vacation has officially begun. So far, I've spent it by lounging in the chair-and-a-half, reading and watching TV. Somehow, I don't think much will change this summer.
Last summer, I had all these goals of losing weight, reading tons of books, and cleaning/organizing the house. Well, this summer, losing weight is a no-go, but I do want to attempt to eat healthier foods. I'm trying to work in more fruits and veggies. I also have some books on my reading list for the summer. Right now, I'm finishing The Secret Life of Bees, a book I began earlier in the semester but had to put on hold for what seemed to be a hectic semester.
I also need to do some cleaning and organizing. Our office has to be cleaned out for a baby's room, but that can't happen until the storage shed is built. Once that happens, though, we can do the fun stuff like decorating the baby's room. :)
Well, I better get back to my lounging...
Last summer, I had all these goals of losing weight, reading tons of books, and cleaning/organizing the house. Well, this summer, losing weight is a no-go, but I do want to attempt to eat healthier foods. I'm trying to work in more fruits and veggies. I also have some books on my reading list for the summer. Right now, I'm finishing The Secret Life of Bees, a book I began earlier in the semester but had to put on hold for what seemed to be a hectic semester.
I also need to do some cleaning and organizing. Our office has to be cleaned out for a baby's room, but that can't happen until the storage shed is built. Once that happens, though, we can do the fun stuff like decorating the baby's room. :)
Well, I better get back to my lounging...
Monday, May 28, 2007
Memorial Day Cooking and Books
Memorial Day weekend has been pretty low key, but the highlight so far has been the wonderful dinner last night. (Max details it on his blog, and he does it justice, so go here if you want the details.)
I guess that Max's culinary creations inspired me to do some cooking as well (something I haven't been much in the mood for lately), so today I've made Max's famous broccoli slaw and Paula Deen's Pretzel Peanut Bark. I also bought the ingredients to make her Peanut Butter Brownie Cupcakes and her Three Chocolate Cookies. I can't decide between those last two; I doubt I'll go completely crazy and make all three in a day. :)
Also, I'm teaching both 10th grade honors sections next year, so I'm basically free to teach the books I choose. Does anyone have any good suggestions for 10th graders? Because it is an honors class, I do want the reading selections to be challenging, but not ridiculously so. I'm open to your ideas...
I guess that Max's culinary creations inspired me to do some cooking as well (something I haven't been much in the mood for lately), so today I've made Max's famous broccoli slaw and Paula Deen's Pretzel Peanut Bark. I also bought the ingredients to make her Peanut Butter Brownie Cupcakes and her Three Chocolate Cookies. I can't decide between those last two; I doubt I'll go completely crazy and make all three in a day. :)
Also, I'm teaching both 10th grade honors sections next year, so I'm basically free to teach the books I choose. Does anyone have any good suggestions for 10th graders? Because it is an honors class, I do want the reading selections to be challenging, but not ridiculously so. I'm open to your ideas...
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Graduation and Other Things
Yesterday was officially the last day of school for students, and last night was graduation. Graduation itself was pretty uneventful, but I enjoyed spending time with Kim and Tim. We had a delicious meal at On The Border before graduation, and we've decided it will be a yearly ritual. I've decided that I'm a guacamole snob; I usually don't care much for guac, but Kim and Tim wanted to have the "Guacamole Live," which is guac made fresh, tableside. I thought it was wonderful. So I guess I don't care for guacamole unless it is prepared from fresh ingredients...tableside. :)
(The fact that the previous paragraph focused more on guacamole than on graduation is kind of sad.)
On another note, I must find a pool for the summer. Our neighborhood doesn't have a pool. Before we moved here 4 years ago, we always had access to apartment or neighborhood pools. That has become my quest this morning--finding a public pool. I think I've found one in a nice area not too far from here. Today is the grand opening for the season, so I'm sure this weekend isn't a good time to visit, but I might ride by and check it out. There is nothing I want more right now, though, than to grab a book or magazine and sit by the pool, getting in every now and then to cool off. Ahhhh.
Also, yesterday was the "first anniversary" of the blog. I've really enjoyed conversing with you all through blog comments and posts. Thanks for reading and commenting!
(The fact that the previous paragraph focused more on guacamole than on graduation is kind of sad.)
On another note, I must find a pool for the summer. Our neighborhood doesn't have a pool. Before we moved here 4 years ago, we always had access to apartment or neighborhood pools. That has become my quest this morning--finding a public pool. I think I've found one in a nice area not too far from here. Today is the grand opening for the season, so I'm sure this weekend isn't a good time to visit, but I might ride by and check it out. There is nothing I want more right now, though, than to grab a book or magazine and sit by the pool, getting in every now and then to cool off. Ahhhh.
Also, yesterday was the "first anniversary" of the blog. I've really enjoyed conversing with you all through blog comments and posts. Thanks for reading and commenting!
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
A few quick things
1. I'm finished with students for the year. That's a good thing. To be quite honest with you, I will be happy for the seniors to graduate, and that seems to be the feeling throughout the building.
2. My younger boyfriend Apolo emerged as the victor of Dancing with the Stars last night! Yea!
3. I'm psyched about the season finale of Lost tonight. I will be watching...after I attend our school's "Inspiration Service," that is.
4. I did not watch the American Idol finals last night. In fact, I gave up AI several weeks ago because it bored me.
5. I think I caught senioritis from my seniors. I have work to do--grading my sophomores' final papers, cleaning my classroom, working on lesson plans for next year, etc.--but I don't want to do any of it. I'd rather surf the Internet.
2. My younger boyfriend Apolo emerged as the victor of Dancing with the Stars last night! Yea!
3. I'm psyched about the season finale of Lost tonight. I will be watching...after I attend our school's "Inspiration Service," that is.
4. I did not watch the American Idol finals last night. In fact, I gave up AI several weeks ago because it bored me.
5. I think I caught senioritis from my seniors. I have work to do--grading my sophomores' final papers, cleaning my classroom, working on lesson plans for next year, etc.--but I don't want to do any of it. I'd rather surf the Internet.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
A Busy Week!
Finally I have a chance to catch my breath and post about the last week. I decided just to tackle all this in one long post, but I'll use subheadings so you can read whatever interests you.
Mother's Day Weekend. My parents came up last weekend for Mother's Day. My dad helped Darryl with building a storage shed in the wooded area behind our house. (Our hope is to move everything out of our office into the storage building so we can make the office the baby's room.) My mom and I went maternity clothes shopping, and that really deserves its own subheading. Sunday, we met my Uncle Len, Aunt Jeana, and their one-year-old son, Larson, at Lake Lanier for a Mother's Day brunch. All in all, it was a really good weekend and Darryl and I enjoyed spending time with our family.
Maternity Clothes Shopping. Look, this was completely new territory for me. I'm in that wonderful in-between stage of being too big for my regular clothes, but not quite big enough for maternity clothes. Anyway, I found some really good sales, and I was actually able to buy quite a few things for not too much money. The highlight of the shopping had to be when we went to JCPenney and were strolling through the racks of clothes, and then suddenly I noticed a sign on one the racks that said, "Doorbuster Sale! All maternity clothes 50% until 1:00!" It was 12:30. My mom and I tore through the clothes, grabbing anything and everything that looked remotely cute or fashionable (well, fashionable for maternity clothes). We ran to the dressing room and managed to get everything tried on--we had a wonderfully efficient system going--and I was able to check out by 1:00. I actually was able to find several things there, so the mad rush was definitely worth it.
I've also decided that after my maternity pants have served their conventional purpose, they will become my Thanksgiving pants. :)
Academic Banquet. This was the first year I was in charge of our school's academic banquet. (I inherited this from a teacher who left this year and Tim encouraged me to do it, saying that I should have a "niche.") This was a pretty big undertaking, but for the most part, things went pretty smoothly. One of the things I was most nervous about was the food; the caterer who has covered this event for the past zillion years couldn't do it this year, so we decided to go the route of a (cheaper) dessert-only reception, and from what I hear, people really liked it. The biggest annoyance was the low teacher turnout. If I had blogged about this earlier in the week, you would have probably gotten a 5-paragraph tirade about that, but I have since mellowed a bit and let it go. I will just say this: for a school that consistently sends the message that athletics is (are?) more important than academics, that message is just reinforced when the coaching staff AND many of the other teachers don't show up to the banquet that celebrates academic achievement. Okay, I guess I haven't let it go completely.
Class Night Music. I don't want you to think I'm completely down on our school, because I'm not, but Friday night I had to participate in the ridiculous tradition called Class Night. It is a very long program at which the senior "prophecies" are revealed and the students read their Last Will and Testaments. Then this even more ridiculous song is sung while the seniors leave the stage and the juniors take their place. This ceremony will probably never die. Never. Anyway, I had to play the piano for it because our chorus teacher had to tend to personal business. I didn't mind playing at all, but I didn't really enjoy the 2-1/2 hour practice that it required.
I also have to confess that I really enjoyed wearing the headset with the microphone (is that what it's called?). I was backstage and couldn't see anything, so Tim, Kim, and the other people running the show were able to communicate with me this way. I think that if I ever take on another profession, I will look for something where I get to use one of these on an every day basis.
June 15. That's the day I get to find out if we're having a boy or girl. I can't wait! I had a routine check-up the other day, though, and everything sounds good.
TV. I watched TV for about 6 hours yesterday. I figured I deserved it after my extremely busy week. I bawled through the Gilmore Girls finale (I'll miss you, Lorelei and Rory!), and then I had to watch The Office to cheer me up. I also watched the last two episodes of Grey's Anatomy--what a depressing season ender!
This week. Finally, the last week of school is here! We pretty much have just exams left, thank goodness. This week will be almost as busy, though, with more senior activities and graduation. The end is in sight, though!
Mother's Day Weekend. My parents came up last weekend for Mother's Day. My dad helped Darryl with building a storage shed in the wooded area behind our house. (Our hope is to move everything out of our office into the storage building so we can make the office the baby's room.) My mom and I went maternity clothes shopping, and that really deserves its own subheading. Sunday, we met my Uncle Len, Aunt Jeana, and their one-year-old son, Larson, at Lake Lanier for a Mother's Day brunch. All in all, it was a really good weekend and Darryl and I enjoyed spending time with our family.Maternity Clothes Shopping. Look, this was completely new territory for me. I'm in that wonderful in-between stage of being too big for my regular clothes, but not quite big enough for maternity clothes. Anyway, I found some really good sales, and I was actually able to buy quite a few things for not too much money. The highlight of the shopping had to be when we went to JCPenney and were strolling through the racks of clothes, and then suddenly I noticed a sign on one the racks that said, "Doorbuster Sale! All maternity clothes 50% until 1:00!" It was 12:30. My mom and I tore through the clothes, grabbing anything and everything that looked remotely cute or fashionable (well, fashionable for maternity clothes). We ran to the dressing room and managed to get everything tried on--we had a wonderfully efficient system going--and I was able to check out by 1:00. I actually was able to find several things there, so the mad rush was definitely worth it.
I've also decided that after my maternity pants have served their conventional purpose, they will become my Thanksgiving pants. :)
Academic Banquet. This was the first year I was in charge of our school's academic banquet. (I inherited this from a teacher who left this year and Tim encouraged me to do it, saying that I should have a "niche.") This was a pretty big undertaking, but for the most part, things went pretty smoothly. One of the things I was most nervous about was the food; the caterer who has covered this event for the past zillion years couldn't do it this year, so we decided to go the route of a (cheaper) dessert-only reception, and from what I hear, people really liked it. The biggest annoyance was the low teacher turnout. If I had blogged about this earlier in the week, you would have probably gotten a 5-paragraph tirade about that, but I have since mellowed a bit and let it go. I will just say this: for a school that consistently sends the message that athletics is (are?) more important than academics, that message is just reinforced when the coaching staff AND many of the other teachers don't show up to the banquet that celebrates academic achievement. Okay, I guess I haven't let it go completely.
Class Night Music. I don't want you to think I'm completely down on our school, because I'm not, but Friday night I had to participate in the ridiculous tradition called Class Night. It is a very long program at which the senior "prophecies" are revealed and the students read their Last Will and Testaments. Then this even more ridiculous song is sung while the seniors leave the stage and the juniors take their place. This ceremony will probably never die. Never. Anyway, I had to play the piano for it because our chorus teacher had to tend to personal business. I didn't mind playing at all, but I didn't really enjoy the 2-1/2 hour practice that it required.
I also have to confess that I really enjoyed wearing the headset with the microphone (is that what it's called?). I was backstage and couldn't see anything, so Tim, Kim, and the other people running the show were able to communicate with me this way. I think that if I ever take on another profession, I will look for something where I get to use one of these on an every day basis.
June 15. That's the day I get to find out if we're having a boy or girl. I can't wait! I had a routine check-up the other day, though, and everything sounds good.
TV. I watched TV for about 6 hours yesterday. I figured I deserved it after my extremely busy week. I bawled through the Gilmore Girls finale (I'll miss you, Lorelei and Rory!), and then I had to watch The Office to cheer me up. I also watched the last two episodes of Grey's Anatomy--what a depressing season ender!
This week. Finally, the last week of school is here! We pretty much have just exams left, thank goodness. This week will be almost as busy, though, with more senior activities and graduation. The end is in sight, though!
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
I will post again...
I haven't posted in a week, and I actually have some things to post about. Things are just really busy right now with the end of the school year approaching, but maybe I'll get a chance to blog over the weekend.
When I do post, I can tell you all about Mother's Day weekend, my foray into maternity clothes shopping, and a few other random bits of interest.
And I can't tell you how happy I am that school is almost out. One more week of students followed by a riculously long week of post planning! The end is in sight!
When I do post, I can tell you all about Mother's Day weekend, my foray into maternity clothes shopping, and a few other random bits of interest.
And I can't tell you how happy I am that school is almost out. One more week of students followed by a riculously long week of post planning! The end is in sight!
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Les Miserables
Last night, the musical theatre class (which consists of 60+ students) performed Les Miserables. It was incredible. First of all, I'm amazed at how many talented kids we have at our not-so-big school. I know you teachers out there (and maybe some of you non-teachers out there) have sat through your share of high school musicals that featured solos that made you want to cringe (I haven't experienced that at our school, Kim), but all the soloists (and there were quite a few) sounded great, especially the students playing the main parts. Kim, who often comments as "Theatre Director," and Tim have done a wonderful job of bringing out the best in those students. Equally impressive was how much was going on...Les Mis is such a huge undertaking--lighting, haze, a rotating stage, etc. My only complaint is that I wish I had seen it before closing night because I think I would have gone back to see it again!
Sunday, May 06, 2007
The End of an Era
Yesterday, Darryl and I said farewell to the red couch and chair. This was our first major purchase after we got married in 1999, and it has served us well over the years. Maybe it isn't the "trendiest" couch by today's standards, but when I saw this in the furniture store eight years ago, I knew it would be the perfect addition to our first apartment. Three apartments, two houses, and two cities later, the couch and chair have been retired.Now we have a more subdued look going on, as you can see in the picture below. We like the new furniture, but I think it is going to take some getting used to. I'm particulary excited about the "chair and a half"--I think that it is going to be the PERFECT spot for some napping and reading this summer.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
News getting out
So the news of my pregnancy is making its way around the school now. It feels kind of good to be out in the open with it; I don't have to keep trying to suck in my stomach, something that wasn't working well anyway.
My students started finding out yesterday (one class actually asked), and I'm just trusting them to spread the news. They've been pretty sweet about it, though, wishing me well and offering congratulations.
I'm oh so tired, though. I went through this several weeks ago, but I appear to be going through it again. Yawn.
My students started finding out yesterday (one class actually asked), and I'm just trusting them to spread the news. They've been pretty sweet about it, though, wishing me well and offering congratulations.
I'm oh so tired, though. I went through this several weeks ago, but I appear to be going through it again. Yawn.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
BIG NEWS!!!
I've been waiting to blog about this for what seems like forever...but I'm pregnant! I'm 13 weeks along now, and I'm due November 6 (which happens to be just three days after my birthday).
We tried to keep it quiet until I had 12 weeks behind me, but we ended up telling our families about a month ago, and the news has just kind of trickled out here and there. I finally told my principal yesterday, so now I'm okay with everyone knowing.
Darryl and I are both really excited. Poor Darryl--his "to do" list is getting longer by the day.
Anyway, I'm not really one to reveal too much information, but I'll give you a few bits in case you are interested:
1. I haven't been sick. Not once. (Don't hate me, Jen C.) However, the bad thing about this is that I often feel absolutely non-pregnant, so this has caused me overreact from time to time and slip into worry wart mode. (I actually moved up a doctor's appointment a couple of weeks ago because I needed to be convinced that I actually am pregnant. I needed proof via ultrasound.)
2. I'm hungry all the time. All. The. Time. My "snack" this afternoon was a chicken salad sandwich.
3. I love spicy food. I've eaten all the Flamin' Hot Cheetos out of the faculty vending machine.
4. I'm tired a lot. This has gotten better, but some days I feel as though I'm going to fall over. Today is one of them.
5. My clothes are getting tight in the stomach. I'm not sure if that is "pregnancy" or my eating all the time.
And that's about all I know for now. We do plan to find out what we're having, so I'll be sure to blog about that when the time comes. Oh, and if you know any scary pregnancy stories, don't tell them to me. I've forbidden myself to look at any more pregnancy message boards for that very reason. I just want to hear good things. :)
We tried to keep it quiet until I had 12 weeks behind me, but we ended up telling our families about a month ago, and the news has just kind of trickled out here and there. I finally told my principal yesterday, so now I'm okay with everyone knowing.
Darryl and I are both really excited. Poor Darryl--his "to do" list is getting longer by the day.
Anyway, I'm not really one to reveal too much information, but I'll give you a few bits in case you are interested:
1. I haven't been sick. Not once. (Don't hate me, Jen C.) However, the bad thing about this is that I often feel absolutely non-pregnant, so this has caused me overreact from time to time and slip into worry wart mode. (I actually moved up a doctor's appointment a couple of weeks ago because I needed to be convinced that I actually am pregnant. I needed proof via ultrasound.)
2. I'm hungry all the time. All. The. Time. My "snack" this afternoon was a chicken salad sandwich.
3. I love spicy food. I've eaten all the Flamin' Hot Cheetos out of the faculty vending machine.
4. I'm tired a lot. This has gotten better, but some days I feel as though I'm going to fall over. Today is one of them.
5. My clothes are getting tight in the stomach. I'm not sure if that is "pregnancy" or my eating all the time.
And that's about all I know for now. We do plan to find out what we're having, so I'll be sure to blog about that when the time comes. Oh, and if you know any scary pregnancy stories, don't tell them to me. I've forbidden myself to look at any more pregnancy message boards for that very reason. I just want to hear good things. :)
The best comedy on TV right now...
...is The Bachelor. I'm not kidding. Let me clarify that I'm not "into" the show; I just happen to catch it once in a while, and last night I watched it longer than I usually do because I couldn't sleep. I don't care which girl he picks or if he proposes. Below you'll find my reasons why you should tune in (if only just once) for a few good laughs:
1--The stupidity of the girls. Take, for example, what one of the girls said last night: "This is hard. The man I love is, like, dating all these other women." Um, honey, you're on The Bachelor. That's pretty much the premise of the show.
2--The bachelor himself. Y'all, he's hokey. He looks like a living Ken doll and says some of the schmaltziest things. He took this one girl on a date where they made their own wine, and he said something like, "Oh, it's just like us--a perfect blend." Please. Gross.
3--The music. Yes, folks, because this edition of The Bachelor is called The Bachelor: An Officer and a Gentleman, of course the show would feature the song--you guessed it--"Up Where We Belong" at any available opportunity. And really, isn't that one of the worst songs ever? "Love lift us up where we belong...where the eagles fly on a mountain high...."
I rest my case. (My apologies to my mother, who doesn't really like my TV posts.)
1--The stupidity of the girls. Take, for example, what one of the girls said last night: "This is hard. The man I love is, like, dating all these other women." Um, honey, you're on The Bachelor. That's pretty much the premise of the show.
2--The bachelor himself. Y'all, he's hokey. He looks like a living Ken doll and says some of the schmaltziest things. He took this one girl on a date where they made their own wine, and he said something like, "Oh, it's just like us--a perfect blend." Please. Gross.
3--The music. Yes, folks, because this edition of The Bachelor is called The Bachelor: An Officer and a Gentleman, of course the show would feature the song--you guessed it--"Up Where We Belong" at any available opportunity. And really, isn't that one of the worst songs ever? "Love lift us up where we belong...where the eagles fly on a mountain high...."
I rest my case. (My apologies to my mother, who doesn't really like my TV posts.)
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Prom
So last night I went to our prom. This is the second year that I've gone (my official job is checking in the kids as they come in), and I really enjoy it. I have a tendency to get really frustrated with my students at this point in the semester, and seeing them all dressed up and having a good time softens my heart towards them a little bit.
I didn't take any pictures, mainly because I'm not really extroverted enough to say, "Okay, everyone...let me take your picture." I may try to get bold enough with that next year, though. I'll work up to it.
I don't really have much to report about it. It went well, no major dramas or scenes. Some of the girls were dressed, well, a little too provocatively, but I would say the vast majority were appropriately dressed and very classy. I'm a bit dismayed, however, by the apparent comeback of the white tux. Ugh.
I didn't take any pictures, mainly because I'm not really extroverted enough to say, "Okay, everyone...let me take your picture." I may try to get bold enough with that next year, though. I'll work up to it.
I don't really have much to report about it. It went well, no major dramas or scenes. Some of the girls were dressed, well, a little too provocatively, but I would say the vast majority were appropriately dressed and very classy. I'm a bit dismayed, however, by the apparent comeback of the white tux. Ugh.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
My own charm school
This morning, while I was making some lemon bars, I had the TV on VH1. Every time a promo came on for the new show Charm School, I couldn't help thinking of my 5th period class.
Friday, April 27, 2007
A first for today...
I can say that in all my teaching career, I've never uttered these words until today:
"Jeff, put your pet bat back in your briefcase."
One of my students hit a bat last night with his car and decided to bring it in a Ziploc to school. Gross.
And yes, he does carry a briefcase to school. He's an interesting kid.
"Jeff, put your pet bat back in your briefcase."
One of my students hit a bat last night with his car and decided to bring it in a Ziploc to school. Gross.
And yes, he does carry a briefcase to school. He's an interesting kid.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
I "Heart" Apolo
I have a schoolgirl crush on Apolo Anton Ohno. Sure, he's only 25, but if you watch this video, you'll see that my love is completely justified.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Martina on Idol/The Bachelor
My mom isn't a fan of my "TV posts" (her words: "You write too much about TV"), but oh well...
Martina McBride is going to be on Idol tonight, and I'm psyched. Now, I'm not a big country music fan, but I do love me some Martina. She's not too "twangy" (my main complaint about most country music), and her voice is incredible. If you haven't really listened to her before because she's a "country" artist, you might give her a shot. You might like her. I also think I just want to hang out with her and watch girl movies and eat brownies. She seems like that kind of girl.
And on another TV note...why is The Bachelor still on? I must confess, I watched the first couple of seasons, but I gave up on it when it seemed that the couples just broke up two weeks later. Last night, though, I just left the TV on after Dancing with the Stars while I was packing my lunch and such, and I had the biggest laugh over these girls who were competing for this guy by participating in some kind of boot camp workout. One girl fell and hurt her ankle, and who dashes to her rescue but The Bachelor himself, with rose in hand? And you could tell that all the other girls hated her because she was getting the extra attention. Hilarious. Isn't this 2007?
Monday, April 16, 2007
Random bits of this and that
--I finally finished grading those senior research papers. I honestly expected the harps the sound and a choir of angels to break forth in song. I thought I'd never finish those things.
--I had a weird dream the other night that I was Jennifer Hudson. It was really strange.
--I don't know if you watch Dancing with the Stars, but Apolo and Julianne were INCREDIBLE tonight.
--It doesn't even seem appropriate to put this in the same post, but man, how upsetting is the Virginia Tech shooting? I just have a hard time wrapping my mind around that. My thoughts and prayers are definitely with all those faculty, students, and their families. (And while I've heard much criticism of the campus police for the way everything was handled, it does make me wonder how on earth an open college campus could be "secured." There is no intercom system, email is not immediately accessible to everyone at every moment, and there are tons of entrances and exits.) How tragic.
--I had a weird dream the other night that I was Jennifer Hudson. It was really strange.
--I don't know if you watch Dancing with the Stars, but Apolo and Julianne were INCREDIBLE tonight.
--It doesn't even seem appropriate to put this in the same post, but man, how upsetting is the Virginia Tech shooting? I just have a hard time wrapping my mind around that. My thoughts and prayers are definitely with all those faculty, students, and their families. (And while I've heard much criticism of the campus police for the way everything was handled, it does make me wonder how on earth an open college campus could be "secured." There is no intercom system, email is not immediately accessible to everyone at every moment, and there are tons of entrances and exits.) How tragic.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
I don't know about you...
but I know I'm going to sleep much better tonight now that I know who the father of Anna Nicole's baby is.
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Happy Easter!
I hope everyone is having a good Easter. Darryl and I went to the early church service today followed by lunch at the Smith House, where we seated at a table with one of the chattiest ten-year-old girls I've ever seen. She apparently saw Darryl as a captive audience and talked to him the entire time.
The rest of my Spring Break was good. Darryl was able to leave work early at his job Friday, so we just spent the day going here and there. I did get a good bit of grading done--not as much as I originally had hoped, but I made a really good dent in it. (This is quite an improvement over breaks I've had in the past where I didn't grade a single paper.) I think I should finish up the rest this week.
So now we're at the point in the year that I consider the "home stretch." The next vacation will be summer vacation, and the end is in sight. You know what I dread most about going back to school tomorrow? Getting up at 5:00. Yuck.
The rest of my Spring Break was good. Darryl was able to leave work early at his job Friday, so we just spent the day going here and there. I did get a good bit of grading done--not as much as I originally had hoped, but I made a really good dent in it. (This is quite an improvement over breaks I've had in the past where I didn't grade a single paper.) I think I should finish up the rest this week.
So now we're at the point in the year that I consider the "home stretch." The next vacation will be summer vacation, and the end is in sight. You know what I dread most about going back to school tomorrow? Getting up at 5:00. Yuck.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Spring Break--Thursday
I was a little better with the grading today, getting right to it this morning by grading a class set of Earnest tests. I graded a few papers this afternoon. Tomorrow needs to be a marathon.
I had lunch with my cousin Vicky at one of my favorite local restaurants (their chicken salad is delicious), so that was an enjoyable break from grading.
Tonight, Darryl and I went to The Capital Grille for our belated anniversary dinner. I usually don't get too excited over soup, but one of the reasons I wanted to go there is that their French Onion Soup is to die for. Delicious. I had the filet and Darryl had the ribeye; we split a side of mashed potatoes, and our dessert--cheesecake with fresh strawberries--was a freebie because we were celebrating. (A couple of years ago, they gave me free chocolate cake because it was my birthday. Nice. You don't even have to suffer the humiliation of the singing waiters and waitresses.)
Not a bad day. Tomorrow...grading. :(
I had lunch with my cousin Vicky at one of my favorite local restaurants (their chicken salad is delicious), so that was an enjoyable break from grading.
Tonight, Darryl and I went to The Capital Grille for our belated anniversary dinner. I usually don't get too excited over soup, but one of the reasons I wanted to go there is that their French Onion Soup is to die for. Delicious. I had the filet and Darryl had the ribeye; we split a side of mashed potatoes, and our dessert--cheesecake with fresh strawberries--was a freebie because we were celebrating. (A couple of years ago, they gave me free chocolate cake because it was my birthday. Nice. You don't even have to suffer the humiliation of the singing waiters and waitresses.)
Not a bad day. Tomorrow...grading. :(
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Idol Stinks
I can't believe Gina had the least number of votes. I didn't think she was the best necessarily, but I liked her, and I thought she had an okay night last night. How bittersweet that her swan song had to be "Smile."
So Gina is gone. Sanjaya stays. Haley stays. Phil stays. Whatever.
So Gina is gone. Sanjaya stays. Haley stays. Phil stays. Whatever.
Spring Break--Wednesday
I've graded a few papers, not as many as I should have. I still plan to grade more, though, while I watch the too-long results show of Idol. I did get to have lunch with Darryl today, however, and I had a much-needed haircut, so it wasn't a complete waste of a day.
Oh, here's one observation from the senior career papers that I've graded: If you are planning to go into the Christian ministry, maybe you should learn to capitalize God. I'm just saying.
Oh, here's one observation from the senior career papers that I've graded: If you are planning to go into the Christian ministry, maybe you should learn to capitalize God. I'm just saying.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Spring Break--Monday and Tuesday
Man, have I enjoyed having a break this week. I've enjoyed sleeping in, catching up on some TiVo, taking care of odds and ends...it's been nice. I think it has made me long for summer vacation even more!
I do, however, need to grade some papers. Very badly. I'm telling you this because I vow right here and now that I will grade papers tomorrow.
Other tidbits:
--I finally watched the movie Supersize Me. Yep, I'm a little late on that one, but I found it quite interesting. While I was fascinated with Spurlock's ability to eat McDonald's for 30 days (gross!), what I found even more intriguing was some of the other "side stories" and information...like the story about the alternative school somewhere (sorry--can't remember where) that switched to a healthy menu in the cafeteria, and administrators and teachers noticed a marked change for the better in the behavior of the kids. I can't help thinking that maybe there is a bit of a connection between my students' lethargic behavior 6th period and the "chicken rings," mashed potatoes, and cookies they have eaten right before class. Anyway...
--Apolo is still my favorite on Dancing with the Stars.
--Um, yeah, that's about it.
I do, however, need to grade some papers. Very badly. I'm telling you this because I vow right here and now that I will grade papers tomorrow.
Other tidbits:
--I finally watched the movie Supersize Me. Yep, I'm a little late on that one, but I found it quite interesting. While I was fascinated with Spurlock's ability to eat McDonald's for 30 days (gross!), what I found even more intriguing was some of the other "side stories" and information...like the story about the alternative school somewhere (sorry--can't remember where) that switched to a healthy menu in the cafeteria, and administrators and teachers noticed a marked change for the better in the behavior of the kids. I can't help thinking that maybe there is a bit of a connection between my students' lethargic behavior 6th period and the "chicken rings," mashed potatoes, and cookies they have eaten right before class. Anyway...
--Apolo is still my favorite on Dancing with the Stars.
--Um, yeah, that's about it.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Happy Anniversary to Us!
Today Darryl and I have been married for eight years. (If I had a scanner, I would have scanned a wedding photo. Oh, well.) Happy Anniversary to us!
Most of you know that Darryl and I went to high school together, but we didn't date until we crossed paths several, several years later when I was in grad school at UWF in Pensacola. If you had told me in 10th grade that the guy sitting a couple of rows behind me in my Algebra 2 class would be sharing his life with me years down the road and that we would make our home in places like Baton Rouge and Atlanta...well, it just goes to show that truth really is stranger than fiction.
While we've had our ups and downs as all married couples do, we've had a great eight years. I look forward to many, many more!
Most of you know that Darryl and I went to high school together, but we didn't date until we crossed paths several, several years later when I was in grad school at UWF in Pensacola. If you had told me in 10th grade that the guy sitting a couple of rows behind me in my Algebra 2 class would be sharing his life with me years down the road and that we would make our home in places like Baton Rouge and Atlanta...well, it just goes to show that truth really is stranger than fiction.
While we've had our ups and downs as all married couples do, we've had a great eight years. I look forward to many, many more!
Monday, March 26, 2007
1 Day Down, 4 to Go
I'm officially on the countdown to Spring Break.
The Importance of Being Earnest isn't going well. That makes me sad; this is one of my favorite plays. It seems to decline in popularity every year, and I really do think that students are losing a sense of "wit." They flock to movies like Beerfest and Jackass 2, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised if Oscar Wilde isn't their cup of tea. (A few students have liked the play, but very few. And I'm all up for entertaining the possibility that maybe I could do a better job teaching it, but anything I do with it requires reading it first, and yeah...that isn't going so well.)
Today's highlight is that a student took out part of her weave during class (she was probably bored by Earnest) and left it in my trash can. It was quite the conversation piece for my later classes. (The funny thing is that they recognized the weave: "G________ took out her weave?")
Also, I had to switch classrooms with another teacher for 2nd period so that my room could be used for graduation testing. When I returned to my room, it smelled, well, urinesque. Don't know what the story is there. Don't know if I want to know.
The Importance of Being Earnest isn't going well. That makes me sad; this is one of my favorite plays. It seems to decline in popularity every year, and I really do think that students are losing a sense of "wit." They flock to movies like Beerfest and Jackass 2, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised if Oscar Wilde isn't their cup of tea. (A few students have liked the play, but very few. And I'm all up for entertaining the possibility that maybe I could do a better job teaching it, but anything I do with it requires reading it first, and yeah...that isn't going so well.)
Today's highlight is that a student took out part of her weave during class (she was probably bored by Earnest) and left it in my trash can. It was quite the conversation piece for my later classes. (The funny thing is that they recognized the weave: "G________ took out her weave?")
Also, I had to switch classrooms with another teacher for 2nd period so that my room could be used for graduation testing. When I returned to my room, it smelled, well, urinesque. Don't know what the story is there. Don't know if I want to know.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Is it Spring Break YET?????
Why does it seem as though Spring Break will NEVER get here? We have the rest of this week and one more week before we're off.
Not much new to report here. My seniors have just finished their "senior projects," an assignment I "inherited" that consists of a research paper and a presentation. Overall, I was underwhelmed by their efforts. I think we're all in need of a break. Now I'm on a quest to read and have a test on The Importance of Being Earnest before we're out for break. I'm convinced it can be done.
As for TV...I fast-forwarded through much of Dancing with the Stars; thank goodness for Tivo. I think I like Apolo the best. He's cute in a strange way...plus I have a weakness for Olympic gold medalists. I'm not really into American Idol this time around--I'm watching it, but half-heartedly. As good as some of the girls are, I think my favorite is Blake the Beat-Boxer. He just has a cool "groovy" vibe that I love...and he also has a great voice.
Speaking of TV, at this very moment we are having our "high definition" hooked up to our HDTV we bought about a month ago. Darryl's excited.
I think I'm just too tired and in need of a vacation that I'm just not interested in much of anything. Ever get like that?
Not much new to report here. My seniors have just finished their "senior projects," an assignment I "inherited" that consists of a research paper and a presentation. Overall, I was underwhelmed by their efforts. I think we're all in need of a break. Now I'm on a quest to read and have a test on The Importance of Being Earnest before we're out for break. I'm convinced it can be done.
As for TV...I fast-forwarded through much of Dancing with the Stars; thank goodness for Tivo. I think I like Apolo the best. He's cute in a strange way...plus I have a weakness for Olympic gold medalists. I'm not really into American Idol this time around--I'm watching it, but half-heartedly. As good as some of the girls are, I think my favorite is Blake the Beat-Boxer. He just has a cool "groovy" vibe that I love...and he also has a great voice.
Speaking of TV, at this very moment we are having our "high definition" hooked up to our HDTV we bought about a month ago. Darryl's excited.
I think I'm just too tired and in need of a vacation that I'm just not interested in much of anything. Ever get like that?
Friday, March 16, 2007
The Last Few Weeks
I laughed when I saw Jen C's comment--"Where are you????"--on my last post. True, I haven't updated in a while. Well, here it goes...
The biggest event that occurred over the last few weeks was the death of my grandmother, whom I called "Mema." While she had been suffering from dementia for some time, she seemed in pretty good physical shape for a woman in her early 80s. But she fell at the assisted care facility she was staying in and cracked a vertebrae in her neck. (I'm not sure if I phrased that correctly, but maybe you get the idea.) Anyway, because of the delicate condition of her neck and the swelling, and given her age and increasing weakness, one bad thing led to another until she was gone just a little over a week after her fall.
In recent years, I hadn't seen my grandmother as much as I should have, but I do have many memories of her, and I've never known life without her existence. I'm sad she is gone, but at the same time, I know that she would have hated the life she would have had if she had lived--she was very much a work-in-the-yard-and-stay-busy person, and those days were over pretty much. Still, she is missed.
Darryl and I went to Florida for the funeral, and I was able to see family that I sadly I don't get to see as often as I would like. The service was a nice tribute to her life, and I think Mema would have approved.
Let's see...what else? Going from extremely somber to extremely silly, I should mention that Darryl and I went to see the musical Spamalot a couple of weeks ago. It was quite funny, and we both really enjoyed it.
Hmmm...my students are driving me nuts right now. It is obviously time for Spring Break. Unfortunately, we still have two more weeks to go until then. Pray that I (and my students) survive.
That's about it. I haven't even watched much TV lately because I've been too busy or too tired. Oh, and did I mention I have about a bazillion papers to grade? I think I'll be doing some of that this weekend.
I promise to update more frequently now. Oh, at my grandmother's funeral, I had several family member tell me that they enjoy keeping up with me through my blog. I kind of feel the pressure now to post something more exciting...
The biggest event that occurred over the last few weeks was the death of my grandmother, whom I called "Mema." While she had been suffering from dementia for some time, she seemed in pretty good physical shape for a woman in her early 80s. But she fell at the assisted care facility she was staying in and cracked a vertebrae in her neck. (I'm not sure if I phrased that correctly, but maybe you get the idea.) Anyway, because of the delicate condition of her neck and the swelling, and given her age and increasing weakness, one bad thing led to another until she was gone just a little over a week after her fall.
In recent years, I hadn't seen my grandmother as much as I should have, but I do have many memories of her, and I've never known life without her existence. I'm sad she is gone, but at the same time, I know that she would have hated the life she would have had if she had lived--she was very much a work-in-the-yard-and-stay-busy person, and those days were over pretty much. Still, she is missed.
Darryl and I went to Florida for the funeral, and I was able to see family that I sadly I don't get to see as often as I would like. The service was a nice tribute to her life, and I think Mema would have approved.
Let's see...what else? Going from extremely somber to extremely silly, I should mention that Darryl and I went to see the musical Spamalot a couple of weeks ago. It was quite funny, and we both really enjoyed it.
Hmmm...my students are driving me nuts right now. It is obviously time for Spring Break. Unfortunately, we still have two more weeks to go until then. Pray that I (and my students) survive.
That's about it. I haven't even watched much TV lately because I've been too busy or too tired. Oh, and did I mention I have about a bazillion papers to grade? I think I'll be doing some of that this weekend.
I promise to update more frequently now. Oh, at my grandmother's funeral, I had several family member tell me that they enjoy keeping up with me through my blog. I kind of feel the pressure now to post something more exciting...
Thursday, February 22, 2007
"Idol" Girls
I guess the girls deserve equal blog treatment...
The girls were definitely a lot better than the boys, with several really good performances. My favorite is probably Melinda, the background singer who has a strong voice but what appears to be the most humble attitude.
And really that's all I have to say about Idol. I probably won't talk about it anymore here unless something really awesome, outrageous, or stupefying happens.
The girls were definitely a lot better than the boys, with several really good performances. My favorite is probably Melinda, the background singer who has a strong voice but what appears to be the most humble attitude.
And really that's all I have to say about Idol. I probably won't talk about it anymore here unless something really awesome, outrageous, or stupefying happens.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
"Idol" Boys and Peanut Butter
I had pretty much vowed that I wasn't going to watch American Idol this year (let's just say I was not a Taylor Hicks fan), but yet again, I'm sucked in.
I thought the boys pretty much stunk it up last night with the exception of Blake the Beat-boxer. I agree with Simon that he was the only one who seemed to come from 2007 (and I love Keane's "Somewhere Only We Know"). I mean, what was up with all the bad, dreary pop songs? And I also agree with Simon that the JT look-alike (the one who sang the Gavin DeGraw song) didn't have a great vocal. I was grading papers while the show was on, so I was mostly listening...and I grimaced a few times during his performance. At least he looked alive, though.
I'm hoping the girls can "bring it" tonight. I plan to TiVo it, though, so I don't have to listen to the inane bickering among the judges and Ryan "I don't get why he's so famous" Seacrest.
And on a completely unrelated note: I am having this insane craving for peanut butter. It's like I can't get enough of it. Maybe it's all the talk about it because of the salmonella thing. Good thing I'm a Jif girl.
I thought the boys pretty much stunk it up last night with the exception of Blake the Beat-boxer. I agree with Simon that he was the only one who seemed to come from 2007 (and I love Keane's "Somewhere Only We Know"). I mean, what was up with all the bad, dreary pop songs? And I also agree with Simon that the JT look-alike (the one who sang the Gavin DeGraw song) didn't have a great vocal. I was grading papers while the show was on, so I was mostly listening...and I grimaced a few times during his performance. At least he looked alive, though.
I'm hoping the girls can "bring it" tonight. I plan to TiVo it, though, so I don't have to listen to the inane bickering among the judges and Ryan "I don't get why he's so famous" Seacrest.
And on a completely unrelated note: I am having this insane craving for peanut butter. It's like I can't get enough of it. Maybe it's all the talk about it because of the salmonella thing. Good thing I'm a Jif girl.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
A little bit of this and that
I haven't posted this past week because I've been pretty busy and tired. For what it's worth, here is what has been going on in my life, in no particular order:
--Darryl the World Traveler returned from a three-week stint in France. (I know...don't we all hate him?) Actually, he ended up working most of the time and didn't have many opportunities for sightseeing. He was in Montpellier, along the Mediterranean coast. Anyway, I really missed him while he was gone and am very glad to have him back.
--Darryl took me to South City Kitchen for Valentine's Day. The food was delicious. I had the best fried green tomatoes I've ever had; they were layered with goat cheese and deep fried. Seriously, I could have made a meal off those alone. For the entree, I had the fried chicken and mashed potatoes. Delicious. (Darryl had the meatloaf.) We split a dessert of homemade vanilla ice cream in a cookie-type basket with fresh fruit. Yum. I'd love to go back there.
--I have an insane amount of grading to do. I won't bore you with the details, but trust me...it's massive.
--I was really impressed this week by how many students got into the movie Emma. I really don't have the patience to READ Jane Austen with my "regular" (meaning non-Honors/non-AP) seniors, but I feel they should be at least exposed to her. I always lead into it by saying that it was the inspiration for the movie Clueless, and that seems to grab their attention. The movie did get off to a rocky start--the beginning is a little slowly paced for them--but they seemed to come around during Day 2. I have one class of 19 boys and 5 girls, and I had to smile when I looked at all these rowdy boys with their chins resting on their hands, eyes glued to the screen, saying, "Kiss her! Kiss her!" when Knightley declares his love at the end. When it was over, they admitted that the movie "wasn't bad for a chick flick."
--I really love my 10th grade honors class. Not only are they "with it" intellectually, but they are cooperative, obedient, good spirited, lively, funny, polite...all those qualities that teachers love. And on top of all that, and you'll appreciate this, Jen C, they sent me a love note from Sydney Carton of A Tale of Two Cities after I revealed to them that he was my new literary crush. :)
--To end the crazy week, Tim, Kim (who sometimes comments here as "Theatre Director"), and I went to DQ for a chocolate covered strawberry Blizzard. I highly recommend it.
--Darryl the World Traveler returned from a three-week stint in France. (I know...don't we all hate him?) Actually, he ended up working most of the time and didn't have many opportunities for sightseeing. He was in Montpellier, along the Mediterranean coast. Anyway, I really missed him while he was gone and am very glad to have him back.
--Darryl took me to South City Kitchen for Valentine's Day. The food was delicious. I had the best fried green tomatoes I've ever had; they were layered with goat cheese and deep fried. Seriously, I could have made a meal off those alone. For the entree, I had the fried chicken and mashed potatoes. Delicious. (Darryl had the meatloaf.) We split a dessert of homemade vanilla ice cream in a cookie-type basket with fresh fruit. Yum. I'd love to go back there.
--I have an insane amount of grading to do. I won't bore you with the details, but trust me...it's massive.
--I was really impressed this week by how many students got into the movie Emma. I really don't have the patience to READ Jane Austen with my "regular" (meaning non-Honors/non-AP) seniors, but I feel they should be at least exposed to her. I always lead into it by saying that it was the inspiration for the movie Clueless, and that seems to grab their attention. The movie did get off to a rocky start--the beginning is a little slowly paced for them--but they seemed to come around during Day 2. I have one class of 19 boys and 5 girls, and I had to smile when I looked at all these rowdy boys with their chins resting on their hands, eyes glued to the screen, saying, "Kiss her! Kiss her!" when Knightley declares his love at the end. When it was over, they admitted that the movie "wasn't bad for a chick flick."
--I really love my 10th grade honors class. Not only are they "with it" intellectually, but they are cooperative, obedient, good spirited, lively, funny, polite...all those qualities that teachers love. And on top of all that, and you'll appreciate this, Jen C, they sent me a love note from Sydney Carton of A Tale of Two Cities after I revealed to them that he was my new literary crush. :)
--To end the crazy week, Tim, Kim (who sometimes comments here as "Theatre Director"), and I went to DQ for a chocolate covered strawberry Blizzard. I highly recommend it.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
King Cake!!!
Darryl won lots of good husband points by having our friends Damian and Rebecca ship my two favorite King Cakes to me from my favorite bakery in Baton Rouge. The one pictured below has a blueberry and cream cheese filling, and the other one is a Zulu cake, which is filled with cream and covered in chocolate and coconut. Yum!
I really do miss Baton Rouge this time of year. Darryl and I did the Mardi Gras thing in New Orleans only once (and we behaved ourselves and maintained our dignity--can't say the same for the majority of people there, though), but this time of year is extremely festive in Louisiana, with everything decorated in purple, green, and gold. Through the latter part of January and most of February, most of our cookouts and dinners with friends ended with King Cake as the dessert, and on Saturday mornings, I'd get in the car, go to Ambrosia Bakery, and buy a piping hot King Cake to have for breakfast.
Now, if the only King Cake you've had is from a grocery store deli outside the state of Louisiana, then you really haven't had King Cake. These grocery store King Cakes are usually taste like stale, dry bread. The REAL King Cakes are soft, doughy, sweet, gooey delicious goodness.
I really do miss Baton Rouge this time of year. Darryl and I did the Mardi Gras thing in New Orleans only once (and we behaved ourselves and maintained our dignity--can't say the same for the majority of people there, though), but this time of year is extremely festive in Louisiana, with everything decorated in purple, green, and gold. Through the latter part of January and most of February, most of our cookouts and dinners with friends ended with King Cake as the dessert, and on Saturday mornings, I'd get in the car, go to Ambrosia Bakery, and buy a piping hot King Cake to have for breakfast.
Now, if the only King Cake you've had is from a grocery store deli outside the state of Louisiana, then you really haven't had King Cake. These grocery store King Cakes are usually taste like stale, dry bread. The REAL King Cakes are soft, doughy, sweet, gooey delicious goodness.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
R.I.P. Everwood
I'm an Everwood addict. There. I said it. Once I discovered the show was in syndication on ABC Family (the same way I began watching Gilmore Girls), I latched on and became a huge fan.
Now, that being said, I have to say that tears welled up in my eyes, oh, like six times as I watched the series finale. The tears were there not just because of touching scenes (the ones between Treat Williams and his Gregory Smith, his TV son, were always the best through the entire series), but also because I was sad that the Everwood experience is over.
As much as I hate that it is the end of Everwood, I must admit that it was probably time for it to end. Everwood pretty much got the shaft when WB became CW, but it left with audiences wanting more; it ended while it was still GOOD, and isn't that the way all shows should end? Unfortunately, Gilmore Girls is becoming a train wreck, with too many jumped sharks (Luke's daughter, hello?). It is begging to be put out of its misery. I think when it ends, I will breathe a sigh of relief and watch my DVDs of Seasons 1-5...when the show was smart and funny.
But Everwood remained true to itself, and I'm glad I devoted those five hours a week to watch it. According to my fake TiVo, ABC Family isn't planning to air it again right away (replacing it with 7th Heaven, a show that will never die), but I'm hoping that it will air Everwood again in the future. When it does, you must watch it. You'll love it.
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Movie Marathon
I would love to do this. Anyone interested? All five Oscar-nominated movies, a large popcorn and coke with free refills, plus bathroom breaks...for $30. Not a bad deal.
Friday, February 02, 2007
I finally finished TALE OF TWO CITIES!!!
Well, Jen C and all other interested parties, I finally finished A Tale of Two Cities!! I loved it. Sydney Carton may be my new literary crush.
I have to confess that up to this point, I had not been a Dickens fan. I'm going to blame this on the abysmal experience I had with Oliver Twist, which was taught to me in a graduate course by a man who held his piece of chalk like a cigarette in one hand and his egg salad sandwich in the other while he lectured from his yellowed-with-age notes.
Dickens redeemed himself with me with Tale of Two Cities. (I'm sure he wasn't "resting easy" in his grave because of my previous dislike of him.) Sure, sometimes I said, "Get on with it, Charles" whenever he launched into his lengthy descriptions, but the story--oh, the story--is wonderful. Loved it, loved it, loved it.
I have to confess that up to this point, I had not been a Dickens fan. I'm going to blame this on the abysmal experience I had with Oliver Twist, which was taught to me in a graduate course by a man who held his piece of chalk like a cigarette in one hand and his egg salad sandwich in the other while he lectured from his yellowed-with-age notes.
Dickens redeemed himself with me with Tale of Two Cities. (I'm sure he wasn't "resting easy" in his grave because of my previous dislike of him.) Sure, sometimes I said, "Get on with it, Charles" whenever he launched into his lengthy descriptions, but the story--oh, the story--is wonderful. Loved it, loved it, loved it.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
"Wintry Mix" Day!!!
Woo hoo! Our school was one of the many that closed today because of the "wintry mix" weather.
So here I am, still in my flannel PJs, fuzzy cozy socks on my feet, fire in the fireplace, coffee in the cup, with plans to watch TV and movies (and finish Tale of Two Cities) all day long.
It's okay to be jealous.
So here I am, still in my flannel PJs, fuzzy cozy socks on my feet, fire in the fireplace, coffee in the cup, with plans to watch TV and movies (and finish Tale of Two Cities) all day long.
It's okay to be jealous.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
