2/26/09

Addiction



True confession: I have an addiction to Cadbury Mini Eggs. I love them. I think it is a very good thing that they only come out once a year. Actually, if they were around all year long, would I still love them so much? I am on bag one. I am limiting myself to only two bags between now and Easter!

Life has been pretty non-exciting the past few days. I work. I work out. I go home. I watch TV. Time is flying by right now. I cannot believe that we are practically in March. That is crazy.

A week from today my mom flies into town. I am very excited for this. I don't have much of a big plan of activities for her but she will be coming to work with me next Friday. The students are pretty excited to meet her as is all of the staff at my school. Should be fun.

*Mom, we can still go to Red Robin, they have stuff besides burgers! WE do have a Red Lobster too! I haven't been there in a long time.

What else? I think that is it for now. Oh, I bet you want to know about other addictions too. Mafia Wars on Facebook as well as Street Racing on Facebook. I really have no life. Chocolate milk has been a staple lately.

Well, have a fab day. Secret: blogs can now be read at school. Ha, I do not know how or why but I like it!

2/24/09

Lent


I am not Catholic anymore but there is one of the Catholic traditions that I continue. I celebrate Lent. Each year I give up something for the 40 days before Easter. This year it is burgers, fries, and soda. Some people in my circle doubt that I can do this. They are so silly. Hello, I make it through every year!

I encourage all of you to give up something to show some sort of sacrifice in your life to celebrate the sacrifice Jesus made for each of us. It makes you a better person and stronger. I totally recommend it. I also recommend sleep. I will now go do that myself.

Seeing it was Fat Tuesday, I ate a burger, large fries, and Coke for dinner. 40 days will be a challenge but I am totally in!

2/22/09

Alive

Hi.

My mom and sister are hilarious. They were very worried about me when I did not call back fast enough and even were calling the hospitals in my area to see if I was in one of them. Funny...I am okay. I haven't gotten back my ultrasound results so I don't know anything. This is why I had not called. I guess I didn't have any news. Bad Alice for not calling back. Sorry mom!

Not much else on this end. It is official, basketball season is over for me. I am glad. It is weird though. It went fast. We lost our last game. Bummer.

Well, I better get to bed and sleep. It makes me less cranky. Weekends are not nearly long enough!

2/18/09

Sick Day....AGAIN!

I think this pretty much sums up how I feel
Drinking out of a straw makes me feel better, who knows why?

Today I stayed home from work. I went home early from meetings yesterday to sleep because I felt horrible. I slept for four hours and then just felt icky, so I got myself out of bed long enough to buy some 7UP and crackers and Imodium AD in hopes that I would feel better before school today. I did feel better this morning but my bowels didn't want me to go to school! Sorry if this is all too much info. I also vomited at 2am and I have not done that since I was a teenager. I have also been having some pain in my upper right abdomen, so I decided to see my doctor today. He had some blood drawn and I have an ultrasound tomorrow morning to see if I may have gallstones. Good times.

I pretty much slept lots today and went to the doctor. I also did laundry because I needed too. Luckily, by the afternoon I was feeling semi-ok.

Tomorrow is Parent-Teacher Conferences so I did some grading tonight to prepare for that. These things come so fast!

The only real food (besides the liquids and crackers) I could get myself to eat today was a grilled cheese sandwich. Too bad I burned it so bad. I guess that pretty much sums up the whole experience of the day!

2/17/09

Sickly and Stuff.

Today I started off by feeling achy. My belly has been hurting these days. I count it as stress but I think it is also time to go to the doctor. I realized today that I have been sick quite a lot this year. And to get a little personal, I have had the diarrhea (cha cha cha-I cannot say diarrhea without the cha cha cha, sorry!) more than ever and that concerns me a little. The plan is to hit the walk-in after work tomorrow. Thrilling.

What else? I don't have much else. I left way early today. I was in my bed at 3pm and slept until 6. Now I am going back to bed at ten. GO me. I just want to feel better!

Ta Da-Looks like we will not have to play in the basketball tournament. I am strangely happy about this!

2/16/09

Fun Times!



Just a quick post. I spent a lot of time up in Sandy with the Bills this weekend. It was fun to see all the kiddos. Sometimes I wish I would actually take more pictures. I do very well with kid pics but sometimes forget to take pictures of the grown-ups. SIGH...oh well. Enjoy the pics of Alexa-it was nice to visit with her and her mom, Alyssa today(Alyssa was a teacher at my school last year.) I also love little Spencer. He is my kind of kid. He seems happy all the time(I know Morgan, he probably isn't happy all the time!) He sure had a fun time today with this red balloon. I laughed and laughed at him.

I am not excited to go back to work. I know, I know...I am thankful I have a job! :)

2/14/09

Happy Valentine's Day!



Well, the big party in my Leadership Class came and went. It was such a fun thing. One of the kids even said at the end of class: "We are going to do this next year, right Alice?" It broke my heart to think that in actuality we probably wouldn't be together in class next year. The way that they are reconfiguring our school would make it hard to continue are leadership program. That makes me a little (okay a lot) sad because I have come to love these 20 kids so much! They are like my own kids. It is awesome how that happens for me. See, I really want to have kids someday. In fact, lately I have been thinking that if I can't have my own kids right now, I am going to live vicariously through other people's children. This goes for my students as well. I really do care so much about these kids. It still makes me sad that our school is changing basically because I do not feel that the change is going to be good for our students. In the end, no matter how many job cuts there may be, the students are the ones that lose.

Anyway, having this party was something that just made my day. I have typically hated Valentine's Day and actually have referred to it as "Single Awareness Day," but this year I am enjoying it. I think we need to go back to our childhood sometimes. Kids have a great Valentine's idea. It isn't all about the romance and gushy stuff, which is only for couples but it is a celebration of friendship and the love that come from friendships. I like that idea a lot better(although I am sure if there were a man around right now I may like the gushy part of the theme). It was a fun day yesterday.

I did also babysit for my friend, Christine on Thursday and I had my little buddy Aiden for that evening. We decorated brownies for one of my friends and it was a blast. We also played the Wii, which I have borrowed from the school, and it was so fun to see little six year old Aiden play the Wii. Boxing was definitely his favorite and I had to pull him away from the screen a few times because he kept getting closer and closer to the TV. So funny and cute!

Today I am excited to head up to Salt Lake and hang out with the Bills. (They are my Utah family, for those who may not know them. I met them years ago in Wisconsin and they have adopted me as a part of their clan.) Morgan will be there from Vegas and I love to hang with her. I also love her kids; they are pretty much some of my favorite people. Sarah will also be there with her wee ones who are also very fun. It should be a fun evening.

It is snowing right now. I hate the snow. I hate driving in it solely for the fact that people drive so stupid in the snow. I am a good snow driver and it frustrates me to be surrounded by unsafe idiots. Maybe I am judging harshly but it really does irritate me.

What else? Oh, my girls played basketball again last night. It is so weird how wishy washy they are. Seriously, they can play so good one game and then revert back to when they first started the season. It is so weird to me. I hate when they go back to the mode of being beginners and don't seem to listen to me. Life is hard as a coach sometimes. Luckily, we only have one regular game left, which is next Saturday. We may be in the tournament, if we get the funds to do so. Is it bad to wish we wouldn't play in the tournament? I am kinda done with basketball!

I hope you enjoy the song I have added to my slide show. Kelly Clarkson is one of my favorites. I also love her new song: "My Life Would S**k Without You." I like it so much that my 4th Hour PE class listened to it on repeat the whole class. None of them complained, which was atypical for my students and I liked that they did not complain for once. Think of this song as a dedication to each an every one of you. I know that the people who follow my blog are pretty much the cool people in my life. I am grateful for all the great humans who make my life so bright. Thanks for being my friends and I hoe your Valentine's Day is fabulous! EAT SOME SWEETS. That is really what the day is about, right?

2/11/09

Staying Home From School....and stuff.

Me chillin' at home in dark
Tribute to Rhinelander to follow
Real Tribute is to Jim, who game me this hat!

Last night, as I was going to bed I had a crazy thought in my head: I feel sick, maybe I should get a sub tomorrow. I, as I often do, guilted myself into thinking that I was okay enough to teach and therefore should be going into work. This morning when the alarm went off at 6:30, I could not believe that it was already time to get up. I then thought, I could still sign up for a sub. I mulled over it for about five minutes and then turned on the computer and signed up for a sub. Within five minutes, my spot was taken for the day. I made sub plans and went to the school to quickly set up before any of the students showed up(it is weird to be there and then not be there when the students are around. This is partly because I think they then are traumatized and miss me more.)

I then went to the store and got cough drops and nasal spray(I think nasal spray is the best thing for me and being sick. The whole clogged up nose just bugs!) I saw a friend at the grocery store, it was nice to have a little chat. I then ordered some donuts for Friday's big Valentine's Day party and rented a few movies.

Seriously consider watching Nights in Rodanthe. This movie was spectacular. It made me cry. It is a winner for romance. You may be somebody who opposes Nicolas Sparks, but really he does well with the romance. (Librarian Friend, seeing you are "studying" the romance novel, you should consider picking up a Nicolas Sparks novel. I know you are morally opposed to him for some reason, but seriously he does a good job. Even if you cannot get yourself to read the novels, think about renting one of his novels that have been turned into movies.) Sorry for the personal note. I have been doing that a lot lately in posts. Anyway, it is a good chick flick and really helped me ignite my living 100% attitude which has been lost the past two weeks. I really have been down which has caused me to curl up in my living room and shut people out. This can sometimes be regular winter behavior for me, but this time it was different. I have been pretty depressed. Tears have been spilt(somewhere near "fifty thousand tears I've cried." That just came to mind from the song "Going Under" by Evanescence). This whole re-structuring of my school has taken a toll on me. It has been hard to go to work and I think it made it easier for me to get sick too. Anyway, the movie helped me take a step back and realize what was important. (Even if it also made me wish some Prince Charming would come into my life as well! :)

Now on to the pictures. The hat in the pics in one that a good friend gave me in Rhinelander a few summers ago. His name is Jim and he was somebody I used to go to my favorite bar and play trivia with. Jim passed away last Saturday. That was a little hard for me. Granted, I didn't know him very well but what I did know of him has impacted me. Jim was one of the kindest people I have met in my life. He was always so nice to everybody he came in contact with, even if he may have had issues with some people in his circle. Jim always made me feel special and smart. He was good at seeing the good in people and complimenting them. He was also brilliant and would usually kick my butt at trivia. He was also a cheerleader because even when he did lose, he would compliment whoever did win. What a great character. I know that the past years were hard for him because he really missed his wife who had died of cancer. I think losing her really took a toll on him, even though I had never known him when she was alive. You could just read some of that pain on his face. It is comforting to know that he is now able to be with her again in a place where there is no pain. Knowing Jim and then losing him has taught me much. I am again reminded that life is short and that the people you come into contact with are important. The journey is made rich by those who surround us. I was also again reminded that you should cherish the times you have with people because life truly is fragile and you never know when somebody may leave this life behind. I feel so lucky to have known Jim and have the memories to carry with me the rest of my journey.

Well, I am off to enjoy the rest of my day. It has been nice to have a little break, even if I have to have a really runny nose, a sore throat, and cough every once in a while. I think I needed a de-stressor day! Cheers.

2/9/09

I wish...



So, if I were in Paris right now...I would probably have no clue what the people were talking about. I would also wonder why the women do not shave.

Other than that I would be having the time of my life.

I like this whole photo booth thing on my new mac. It actually is not a new mac, it just has a new operating system.

Today was a day. We had the kids for only a half day so we could grade some writing tests. It was a thrill. We did have a spectacular pot luck lunch. I like good free food.

I made my girls come back for practice later in the afternoon. It actually was a good thing. We had to have a heart to heart with one of the girls because she was feeling a bit alienated by the team and there was some gossip going around about her. It was a good thing because she was going to quit and we helped her not. She happened to be the same girl that got us into overtime on Friday.

Other than that the day was pretty boring. I am off to bed now. I have been going to bed a little earlier and watching a TV show on my iPod while in bed. It is fun.

Well, later.

2/7/09

So this is what Winning Feels like!



Last night my basketball team actually won! It was an amazing game that actually went to overtime with an almost at the buzzer shot made by one of my players. It was so fun to actually see my girls happy after a game for a change. It was awesome. We won 47-41 in overtime. It was awesome!

I still am kinda done with the season though. We have another game today and I really don't feel like I have a weekend this weekend. Maybe I am just being grumpy these days. Work has been different. It seems as though all of the wind in our sails has died. The passion is missing. I think we are all going through the stages of grief. We have been in denial, we have been angry and we are getting to acceptance but not very quickly. I really just wish we would know what is going to go on with our school next year. This whole change business is not my favorite that is for sure. Why can't things just always remain the same? Wait, I am always complaining about things being mundane and monotonous, so maybe I just need a bit of a change of attitude. Wait, I am not to that point yet. I am still pretty content with being angry and cynical. So there!

I am now off to finally get dressed and head to the school. It is 2pm. I am still in my pajamas. I like these kinds of days. I have accomplished a little of grading today, which is a good thing. I must now go and put some stuff into the computer at school. See....exciting!

Well, I hope you are all enjoying the weekend and I am hoping that my posts have not been too depressing for you all. Thanks for all your nice comments. I really do appreciate all the support I have from all of you! Love ya!

2/4/09

Wednesday...half way there, right?

Hey. Just got home from playing The Wii at a friends house. I like the Wii.

Today in Leadership class we made our Valentine's Boxes. I think the kid are pretty excited to have a party. One of the kids actually said today: "Alice, you are making Valentine's fun again!" Funny how they think it was all my idea when they actually brainstormed the party idea! Silly kids. I am glad we have decided to have the party because I usually get a little blue on Valentine's. I usually call it Singles Awareness Day because you never feel as single as you do on Valentine's Day. SIGH.

I am tired. I should be sleeping. Maybe I will go do that now!

New Slippers



Sometimes you need something to perk you up and make your day. These slippers that I paid a whole 4 dollars for were just that perk. It was a nice thing.

I did laundry and I hate doing laundry.

The feelings are work are just not as upbeat as they usually are.

I am glad for slippers.

2/2/09

Watching TV in 3D Brings Back Memories.




I picked up some 3D glasses to watch one of my favorite TV shows in 3D tonight. It was not that impressive. Maybe it is cooler when you are younger. I kept being bugged by the weird colors and only watched half in 3D. Lame. I guess I am not young anymore. It did make me remember being young though, so I guess it wasn't a total loss.

Today was a typical Monday. I did not want to go to work and the students didn't want to be there. I am really irritable lately. I do not know if it is because I am too tired or if it has everything to do with being frustrated. I think it has everything to do with the news of the school and how it makes it seem not worth going. That, of course, is not true, but sometimes the way we feel makes falsehood seem true.

I bought a lot of stuff for my Leadership Class' Valentine's Day party. I told my students of my hatred of Valentine's Day and they decided that we should have a party to make me like Valentine's Day again. We are going to decorate shoe boxes just like in Elementary School and also give each other cards. I think it will be fun. I even wrapped my box tonight and plan on decorating it tomorrow. Exciting.

Well, it is four minutes past bedtime. I best be moving to bed!