Jumping in with Both Feet

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Growing Up....Together

**Ten Things Tuesday is coming tomorrow because I wrote the post and then left it on my work computer and now I'm at home. Oops.

Kev and I have a unique story in many ways, in that we were high school sweethearts that never really dated. We met when I was a freshman and Kev was a sophomore, when he tried to sell a frisbee to my then-boyfriend and I. I think we declined. Then-boyfriend and I broke up a few weeks later, and I began an epic AIM flirtation each night that ended with a magical date at Great America and the promise that when Kev got his license the following week, that I would be his girlfriend. The license was acquired, and with it, the realization that sophomores with cars are way too cool for freshman girls. Through it all, though, we continued our nightly AIM conversations. We talked about his girlfriend, my boyfriends, and argued about books, bands, and people we both knew.

Although we didn't date, and went to different colleges, we got together to catch up the summer after I finished college and the rest, as they say, was history.

Kev and I, first summer dating, 2007

When I look back at our year of dating, our year of engagement and our first year of marriage, I remember endless nights at bars. Spending time with a core group of friends every weekend that got bigger as we spent more time together. Date nights where we wore sweatpants and champagne and played video games and Jeopardy against each other. We were out nearly constantly, and we looked forward to meeting up with the group, getting belligerent, and then coming home and gossiping about it the next morning.

Now, though, things have changed.

Somewhere in the subsequent two years, Kev and I have grown up. I'm not sure if it's the fact that we have a place of our own now, or that we started grad school, or that we just appreciate each other more, but cooking a dinner in and hanging out on our deck with a glass of wine has replaced the rounds of shots. We've become a little slower to recover from the nights we do get crazy, and we are better at saying no if we just don't feel like going out.

And you know what? It's pretty heavenly. I really, really like being more grown up and slowing down. If the last four years have brought about this much change, the next four and the four after that will be pretty good too.

I really, really love being married to the guy I'm married to.

Us, June 2011, making a rare appearance at the bar we used to nearly live at.

Monday, August 22, 2011

New Job = Crazy Busy

Today was the first day of school, an Institute Day where I sat in lots of meetings designed to get me pumped for a new school year. The people at my new job seem awesome, although the workload is shocking and overwhelming. I came home today with a whopping headache, threw up from the nausea that ensued, took a nap, and then finished a rad book, and now I think I'm ready for tomorrow. I'm equal parts thrilled and terrified, but for now, I'm trying to be.....

Source: reddit.com via Beck on Pinterest

....more Ginny than Bella.

Thank you imgur
Longer post tomorrow, until then, goodnight friends

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Finisher

Oh, friends. After all of my lamenting that I wasn't prepared, I went in and did it. I came. I saw. I conquered. I finished the Rock N' Roll Half Marathon in 2:26.

Now, I know that this is not the fastest time, or even the time I was hoping for when I started training. But is it a time I'm proud of? Yes, undoubtably. Would I run this race again, even though it meant training during one of the hottest summers in recent Chicago history? Yes. Was it worth attending a bar crawl for four hours the night before and not touching any alcohol in preparation? Also yes.

Overall, I was really pleased with the course itself. I thought running through the loop was fun, and ending with glimpses of the lakefront was also great. I thought the course itself was extremely well organized, with lots of water stations, drizzle stations, bands,and mile markers staggered about. Somehow the locations of all of these things seemed to break up the miles for me, so that it went by a lot faster than I thought it would. I also ran my first race with a pace group, whom I stumbled upon at around mile 6. The group was running with a pacer from Fleet Feet Sports, a great running store in Chicago. The girl had us running 5 minutes and walking one with a goal time of 2:30. I think the run-walk strategy also helped to distract me, and I got to hear a lot of random conversations about people's daughters' periods and such. Strange, but interesting.

My one beef about this race as a whole was the incredibly long gear check wait at the finish. I had to wait nearly 15 minute in the line- way too long when I still had my hot boyfriend (yes, I try to get away with calling Kev that still) to find. Special thanks to him for showing up at the finish line at 9:00 am after staying out until almost one the night before at previously mentioned bar crawl.

Finishing this race (my first formal one in two years, since my pre-RA days) was big for me. Last year, I had a terrible year professionally at work, with lots of drama. I let myself get bogged down, and I wasn't always the best that I could have been for the students. I know, also, that my biggest problem is follow-through. I say I will do something, but often I wait until it is convenient for me, or until I have to at the very last minute (hello, training). When I was diagnosed with RA, I thought my running days were over. And yet, I put my mind to something, and even though I wasn't perfectly in shape, I went for it. Despite my 10 pill a day RA regiment, I did it. Despite my self-doubts, I did it. And through it all, I learned that the only one standing in my way is myself.

I'm hoping to take this mentality into the back-to-school portion of August. I want to have a kickass year. More on that tomorrow.

Friday, August 12, 2011

Family Vacation

Let me tell you a little bit about my family. I am the oldest of four kids (spawned in seven years, no less). My parents are quirky, hilarious, and still happily in love after thirty years of marriage. My mom recently graduated from a three year masters' program in clinical nursing. Kev fits right in. We are pretty awesome.

To celebrate my mom's recent graduation, we headed up to my parents' lake house on a teensy lake in Wisconsin. Kev stayed for the first weekend, and I decided to stay a few extra days. Because, you know, I can. Go summer vacation. During this extended period of time with all of us in one place. I made the following observations.

Water trampolines are awesome.

I am getting too old to wander around without makeup on. Especially compared to my model-esque younger sister.

Going on vacation with my parents automatically makes me act like a child. I think I left this glass of blackberry lemonade out all day long, much to my mother's consternation.

The Mars Cheese Castle in Kenosha, Wisconsin makes the best bloody marys ever. Oh, and smoked string cheese. String cheese that tastes like summer sausage? Yes, please.

The lake is unbelievably beautiful.

I hope my dad catches the big one someday. His perseverance is amazing.

I love my weirdo family. Why must you all go back to schools far away when summer ends?

What are your favorite family vacation memories?
Do you regress around your family? Or are you still adults around them?

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Ten Things Tuesday

This photo is random, just like our usual Tuesday chats.

1. I am feeling incredibly lazy today, which is sad because I was super productive yesterday. My to-do list is not shrinking. Nor is my ass, because I'm also not running today apparently. Curses.

2. I discovered an ab machine at the fancy new gym I joined. You kneel on this thing and then rotate a bunch of weights to work the obliques and abdominals. Today it hurts to breath. Maybe this will be the cure for the slight beer/food belly I am sporting.

3. I filled out a ton of paperwork yesterday for my new job, and holy crap is it weird to have everything filled out as Nicole Gas. Even though it's been two years, I still find it kind of crazy to see my new last name in print, especially when I have to fill out big things.

4. It's also weird to put Kev as my emergency contact and not my mommy. He's terrible about picking up his phone. I hope in case of emergency that I won't lose my ability to text him, otherwise he'll never know to panic.

5. I was just looking through my blog stats and somebody found my website by googling stripper poles. I have so many questions that I'm afraid to ask about that. Yikes.

6. I just started reading Jennifer Egan's A Visit From the Goon Squad today and it's awesome. I would love to make a soundtrack to that book- music is just so alive on it. I'm also a sucker for a good book told from multiple perspectives. That's totally my jam.

7. I have to run ten miles tomorrow. Ew. I'm really hoping my mojo will come back and I can get up and do it in the morning so I can take a nap before going to a friend's cookout at night. My eight miler on Friday went pretty well, so I'm hoping this one will too. Eek. The half marathon is less than two weeks away.

8.I feel like every time I go on facebook someone I am friends with is announcing a pregnancy. I'm okay with this, but for the love of all things holy please, people, refrain from making an ultrasound photo your profile pic. I have no need to see your uterus. Thanks.

9. I just remembered why I'm so unproductive today. Kev and I had a bottle of wine at dinner, then went to play bar trivia with some friends, where I had way more than the one beer I was going to allow myself. Damn you, summer, you sneaky minx.

10. I have spent way too many calories and dollars on stupid things this summer. Off to go find some moderation.

Monday, August 1, 2011

Here Comes August

Today is August 1st, people. If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you know that I am a teacher. You also know that I had a very rough year at my old school, that ended in me taking on a new position. Next year, I'm going from teaching sheltered English Kindergarten to junior high ELL. The two work environments so far seem to be completely different from one another, and honestly, that might be just what my career needs right now. A fresh start, a new challenge, new friends and frenemies at work.

The arrival of August usually inspires a mix of dread and hope in my teacher friends and I. After six weeks of relaxation, occasional babysitting, drinking more than usual, and spending way too much money, I'm growing excited for the routine that the school year brings to my life. I'm looking forward to the challenges and mental puzzles that come with learning a new curriculum, and I can't wait to get to know and love my new students. And yet, August also makes me feel a little nostalgic. Another summer is winding down. I should have read more books, done more photographing, spent less time on pinterest (let me know if you want an invite). I should have blogged more, spent more time with my grandparents. Ran more. Drank less. The list goes on.

Teaching is one of the few jobs that comes with its own New Year, separate from the calendar. Each August, we go back into our classrooms with new resolutions, new ideas. We vow to be more patient, less gossipy. More focused, less stressed. Give more feedback, give fewer sarcastic remarks. We, as teachers, want to develop systems for ourselves that really work, that allow us to work smarter, so that we can juggle the balance between teaching and being part of our own families. All of these resolutions brew all summer, and then really start in August.

If you are a teacher, what are your new year's resolutions? If you are a parent or friend of a teacher/student, what do you think my resolutions should be this year?

Happy August!

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Harry Freaking Potter

I've been in a slight depression lately, because the last Harry Potter movie is out and about. I saw it. It was good. Actually, it reminded me of my real depression after I finished the last Harry Potter book.

Have I ever told you about my reading of the last Harry Potter book? It came out while I was on a monthlong trip to Costa Rica shortly after Kev and I started dating. I was brushing up on my Spanish before starting my job teaching bilingual ed. I was super sad that I would be missing the release, but Kev promised to buy me a copy of the book. Even better, he promised to wait to read it until I got home, so that we could read it together and talk about the ending.

"What a guy," I thought.

Until we were chatting late one night, and he revealed that he had opened the book to read the description on the inside front flap and accidentally read the first 150 pages. Then he got a beer and accidentally finished the book.

I love that he gets that into reading. I love that he didn't spoil the ending for me. I hate that he didn't wait for me.

Luckily, he redeemed himself today with this video he found. No need to thank me.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Tuesday Things

Hi Friends! I'm back. See? I told you I wouldn't abandon you in your time of summer unproductivity need? You're welcome.

Without further ado, here are ten things I'm thinking this Tuesday.

1) Today while I was babysitting my cutie pants distant cousins, we played with water guns. Chicago is in the middle of a heat wave, thus making the water guns awesome. I had an amazingly good time, and I'm glad that water gun fights are one of those things that don't get less fun or cool with age. Also, a two year old getting hit with water guns makes hilarious faces. Just sayin'.

2) I discovered Picasa yesterday. In a rare show of productivity, I backed up all of our photos from 2007 (when we first started dating) onwards. It's awesome, and easy. Goodbye flickr. Hello Picasa.

3) Looking at all my photos re-ignited my need to take some more. Pictures are freaking awesome, no? Somewhere after our wedding Kev and I stopped taking pictures together, which makes me rather sad as we are never going to look this young and hot again. SOMEBODY TAKE OUR FREAKING PICTURE PLEASE. thank you.

4) Thoughts of the upcoming school year are starting to creep in, which leads me to believe I'm starting to get excited. I'm sort of nervous excited. What if I don't make any friends? What if the kids won't play nice with me? What if everyone thinks (more like finds out) I'm a total spaz? Yikes.

5) It's so freaking hot. I really need to make some gazpacho. This is definitely gazpacho weather. My cats and I are all shedding like crazy. Praise the Lord that we are in a place with central air conditioning.

6) My mom has been strongly hinting that I am too old (at almost age 27) to wear a bikini. Is this true? Mine has nautical stripes on it...not ruffles or flowers. Doesn't that make it more mature?

7) This heat wave is killing any momentum I had for half marathon training. I fear this race is going to suck. Tonight I'm going to go consult my favorite running book to re-vamp my plan. Yeeps. How do you get motivated to work out?

8) Summer makes me compulsively spend money. Today I went to Target for the L and T to make BLTs tonight and came home with some new undies, a new (more modest) bathing suit top to rotate into the above mentioned bikini set, a new nightgown (starting an obsession- they are like sundresses you sleep in!) and pajama pants. What's my issue?

9) I have a new obsession with Vitamin String Quartet. They are a group that does orchestral interpretations of pop songs. I'm super obsessed. If I let my kids listen to them while we work next year, will that make me cool in the junior high world?

10) I missed you imaginary friends out there. I'm ready to get back to a regular scheduled routine.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Catchup Post

I cannot believe I've let a month go by without blogging. I am a terrible person. Here's the thing: as a teacher, I still have summers off. You would think that this would mean that I have expert knowledge on how to structure my time to do fun things, while also doing all the things (photography, half marathon training, etc) that I SAY I am going to do. Truthfully? notsomuch. I always end up spending the first half of my summer in complete sloth and the second half of the summer trying to get all the stuff done that I said I would do all summer long. Oops. I've missed all of you invisible friends though :)

So, here is what the first half of my summer looked like:

Kev and I went to Washington, DC, Virginia, and Maryland to visit our friends Paul and Amanda. We did the museum thing (loved the Newseum and Smithsonian American History), the Mall (loved the WWII memorial) and got to see the marine band play on the Capitol's steps. We ate dinner together every night, spent the weekend at a fabulous house on the Chesapeake, and it was fabulous. I wish Paul and Amanda lived closer, or that Kev had summers off so we could travel more. I've also decided that if we ever left the midwest, I'd definitely move southeast. I freaking love that area.

I've also been babysitting a ton for my cousins. I totally forgot how awesome it is to work for a day and get handed a fistful of cash at the end of the day as a direct result of your labors. Also, is there anything better than hanging out with little kids in the summer? Parks = awesome. Popsicles = awesome. Sprinklers = awesome. Naps = awesome. Kids rule. I've also gotten a good tan from playing outside with them. Winner, winner.

When I'm not kid wrangling or travelling, I've been enjoying all the fabulousness that summer in Chicago brings. Baseball games, free movies in the park, drinking on porches, watching Kev's terrible softball team (sorry, Great Balls of Friar, but it's true), and generally making mayhem.

So, fret not, I am alive and I'll be getting back to a regular blogging schedule this week. Thanks for coming back after the hiatus!

Friday, June 17, 2011

Where Was I?

Greetings from the end of my first week of summer! I'm not going to apologize for my brief blogging hiatus because I've been doing really, really important things. I have a personal feeling that summer can't start without a few important to-dos being checked off the list. Such as:

Going to a ridiculously hot concert where you are going to sweat your buns off. My besties since first grade, my main squeeze, and I headed to see Dispatch in Millenium Park last week. It was hot as balls. It was full of seventeen year olds drinking and smoking pounds of inappropriate things. It was full of super awesome summer music. It was full of besties. And most important, it was at the most beautiful place to see a show in the city.

See?

I've also been babysitting/tutoring my cousins a TON. One set lives a mile away from me, the other in my parents' neighborhood. I have watched some hip new cartoons (What the HELL is Dinosaur Train? A baby T-Rex hatches out of a Veloceraptor mom's eggs and rather than assume the mom is a ho they go on a Dinosaur Train? I'm confused. Also, veloceraptor is not in my spell-check. Weird) I have colored, I have played soccer, I have demanded that my older cousins go outside instead of playing Wii all day. I have made some fat cash to spend on sundresses, I mean, paying off my loans. Very relaxing.

Kev and I also went up north last weekend with Kev's high school dudes and their sig others. I love those humans. We wore sweatpants all weekend, made campfires, ate smores, and drank delicious Wisconsin beers. It was awesome, and relaxing. I can't believe I've had so many awesome people in my life for such a long time. If you would have told me 10 years ago that Kev and I would be married, and how many CHS people would stand up in our wedding and be generally awesome, I would have laughed. Life is funny like that....

Despite the fact that I have NOT been training for the half-marathon, eating healthy, blogging, or generally thinking about work, it has been an awesome start to summer. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to go get ready for this afternoon's Cubs v Yankees game, to which I have free tickets for one of my besties and myself.

I don't think I could EVER work all 12 months out of the year :)

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Graduations

Last week was my last day of grad school. Today was kindergarten graduation for my sprouts. Things are changing and coming to an end, and to be honest, I've been in such a swirl of last minute to-do lists, that I haven't really had time to sit down and reflect.

This morning, I got to watch my kiddos onstage. It was the first time that we had tried to do a music show and graduation with ALL the kindergarteners, and I have to say, they were fantastic. They came dressed up, gelled down, and extra-obedient. Some of my rowdy kiddos were downright solemn. It was nearly miraculous. After the ceremony, my toughest student today sidled up to me. This was a boy that cut people with scissors, had problems nearly everywhere he went, and made me want to cry on more than one occasion. But then, he stopped me in my tracks today for something good. He gave me this:

Something about the bamboo heart, from a boy who just yesterday had drawn a monster in his kindergarten memory book when asked to draw a picture of me (little hilarious jerk) made me pause. To me, it meant that deep down even if he couldn't say it, he wanted me to know he cares. He loves me. He even picked it out for me all by himself.

This year was a hard year in lots of ways for me. I fought some battles, won some, lost some. I chose to move on from a group of people that love and support me, knowing something better had to be out there. I hit rock bottom and came back up. But I also got straight As in grad school, taught my kiddos to read and write, learned to find wells of strength and dignity I didn't know I possessed, and was shown how many people believe in me and in what I do for students.

With one action today, my rowdy punk changed the way I'll remember him. I'm not going to remember the times he sneezed on me, or kicked other students, or looked at me and said "no, I'm not doing that." Instead, he'll be the boy with the bamboo, who reminded me that the kids who need the most patience from you are often the ones that you end up making the biggest impact on.

I hope as I "graduate" my current school, that people remember me similarly. I know I demanded a lot of patience from people at times, just as I gave infinite amounts to the naysayers at my school. When it comes right down to it, however, I hope people remember me as somebody with a big heart.

Maybe graduation isn't just for kindergarteners after all :)

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

A Day on the Lake

One of these beers is not like the other.....one of these beers has been in the sun too long.

*** If your brain does not think in song like mine does, that should have been sung to "One of these things is not like the other" a la Sesame Street circa 1988.***

ANYHOO, Kev and I went up to my parents' lake house for the first lake weekend of the summer this past weekend. It was rad. I loved the chance to get away with my family and my best guy in the midst of the final days of the school year and masters program. Most of the weekend was cool and crisp, but yesterday, just after my parents left, the sun came out to say hello. Kev and I decided to take the boat out. We had a fabulous day on the lake with lots of sunshine, moderate SPF and beers, and minimal stress. I finished the last 400 pages of a 461 page book (She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb for my chunkster challenge) and lounged in the sun. We ate a picnic lunch at sea and soaked up the rays of the second real day that has felt like summer since last October. All was well and good until......

We couldn't get the boat started to get back in and head back home. I'll spare you the grunting, swearing, sunburning and panic that ensued to say that I am proud that Kev and I managed the ordeal by making a plan, not screaming at each other, and getting the boat towed back to my parents' place. I will also say that I am glad to have such a strapping, able-bodied, tall husband that was able to stand near the shore and push the boat up to a stranger's dock so that we could tie it up and call for help. I will also tell you that I now have created a rule that I am not allowed on a boat without my phone again. Nothing like a broken boat and a sunburn to make you realize how much less of an adult you are than you thought you were. Good thing I had my partner in crime by my side.

Friday, May 27, 2011

Fill in the Blank Friday

Kev and I like to sing via gchat to each other when moments are boring at work. This is rare for me, but fun when it happens. See if you can name how many terrible top 40 songs we "sang" today.

me: FRIDAY FRIDAY
gotta get down on FRIDAY
Kevin: ha ha ha
ohhh YEAH
me: half an hour and I will be out like a trout
uns uns uns
Kevin: YEEEEAH BOY
me: I cannot wait
Kevin: Bump some Pitbull/TPain Hey baby
me: ooooh baby bay-bah
nananananaNAHna

We are pretty cool, I know. Wanna know what else is pretty cool? Fill in the blank Friday, brought to you by Lauren Link up or comment to play along :)

1. If I could get away somewhere for the weekend I would go to Napa Valley, California. It has to be warmer than 40 degrees there. I could drink outside with Kev-o, eat fancy shmancy foods, wear a sundress, and get to see lots of it with just one long weekend. It would be pretty bangin'. Although Kev and I are going up to the lake tomorrow-Monday, so that will be a pretty close second place.

2. Something I often rant about is how messy my house is. Although I must say I rarely feel moved to really do anything significant about it. I really need to do a little more each day so it doesn't pile up and leave me smothered by cat hair. Yeesh.

3. One item I need to have in my fridge at all time is salsa. I am salsa obsessed. I love to have a few different kinds so I can spice up my meal with whatever I'm in the mood for. I almost always have ranch as well. Lots of things (pretzels, pizza, turkey sandwiches with lettuce) taste better with ranch.

4. My "life-saving" product is Pond's makeup wipes. They smell fantastical and get all of your make up off at night. Boots No 7 also makes a great brand. For some reason, I'm so lazy that I see actually washing my face as a chore- these do great after workouts or before bed.

5. A friend is someone who loves you because you are a weirdo and not in spite of it. To quote CoCo Chanel "To be irreplaceable you have to be different." I love all my weirdo friends.

6. If I could write my own blank it would be Something that I was scared of as a kid that still makes me nervous is________________ For me, it's worms. No doubt, hands down. Those things are skeevy,

7. My favorite kind of art is a toss up between paintings and photography. So maybe something mixed-media would be my real favorite. I am in awe of painting, because I have no idea how to do it and most paintings are so alive, but I am fascinated by all kinds of photography.

Happy Friday! Partyin' Partyin' YEAH

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Sweat Lessons

Today was a brutal day. Things were awful at work, and I came out in tears over a committee meeting in which things somehow went terribly wrong. I firmly believe that the worst feeling in the world is discussing a problem with people, and seeing a solution that would work, but being so flustered by the emotions of the situation that you can't really get your words out to help the situation. That's exactly what happened to me today and it was rad. Not.

Thankfully, I had registered for an hour long weight lifting circuit class with a dear friend who always gives me perspective. What I love about this class is that it moves quickly and has a lot of variety, so that the hour flies by. I also love that it leaves me sore the next day. I'm sort of a masochist when it comes to my workouts. If I'm not sore the next day, the whole workout seems a waste. Maybe that's why I run.

Anyways, I've had one foot off the workout and healthy living wagon for a while now, and some pounds I lost have slowly been finding me. My head was cloudy while the instructor was explaining the circuits, and I was a little sloppy. It was also an instructor I hadn't experienced before, and he was a bit stern. While it's too early to tell if I'll be sore tomorrow, I will say that being taught by somebody I didn't know at all who was none too kind left me with some lasting lessons that I would like to share with you all today. Namely:

1) If you really pay attention the first time, you will be shamed much less frequently later on when you have forgotten all the things that you were pretending to listen to earlier. Feigning interest does not actually mean you have absorbed the information you should have. And man, that makes me feel like an ass when that happens.

2) It really is true that when teaching somebody something new, your praise for them should outweigh your criticism. By the end of the lesson I was seriously craving some positive reinforcement. I was definitely the elephant in the room today, and I grew to dread each time the instructor walked by. My butt was too high while holding my plank pose, then it was too low. My feet were farther than shoulder width apart. Our "active rest" station was really a plank station in disguise. The resting should last one to two seconds max. Ack. I definitely need to remember to give my kids more love. It sucks when you try to do something new, and nobody sees how hard you are trying. Lesson learned, kindergarteners. I'm going to praise your pants off tomorrow.

3) It is a much better idea to maintain being in good shape than to take three weeks off due to bronchitis, then a cough, then remembering how much coughing sucked last week. Take it from me, people.

4) A good workout can make a bad day go away.

TGTIF people.

Friday, May 20, 2011

Fill in the Blank Friday

Usually on Fridays, I do Five Things Fridays, but I'm getting kind of sick of the routine. Not to mention all of my posts are incredibly random anyways. To change things up a bit, I decided to link up with Lauren and give you some randomness in a new and different way. So here you go! Want to play? Link it up!

1. People always tell me I look like........Minnie Driver. I think its the big boobs and big lips thing. Or the unruly mane of lion hair. Although, my dad swears I look like Angelina Jolie. If I was a parent, I don't know that I would admit that to myself. Maybe I need some tattoos.....

2. Friends don't let friends........moan about needing to lose weight if it's not really necessary. They also don't let friends say something negative about themselves without saying something positive. Friends also shouldn't let friends be picky eaters. Friends know how to talk friends into and out of bad decisions.

3. A sunny day is perfect for........reading outside, drinking outside, or taking pictures outside. A sunny day is also perfect for aww-ing over people's cute puppies or babies. Or both, apparently, if you live in my neighborhood. Some families just hog all the cuteness.

4. My favorite accessories are ........my wedding band and engagement ring. I love, love, love, love them. I also adore the Pandora bracelet that my mother-in-law got me and that my family keeps adding on to.

5. If I could afford it I would ..........take an international vacation every single year, forever. I'd make sure I got in 3-4 good airplane-worthy trips a year. I get stir-crazy if I don't have a trip planned.

6. The cure for boredom is to............... get out of your house. Go for a walk, bike-ride or drive. Take a book with you- if you can't find a cool place to go, you can go read in a park or a coffee shop.

7. I am currently "in like" with .... I'm slowly welcoming more salads in to my life. I've discovered that if I add a lot of stuff to them, that it doesn't taste like rabbit food. I'm also in like with some new running shorts I got from Target. They are tight like bike shorts but on the longer side to prevent chub-rub. I'm hoping I can grow to love them as I run more. I'm also currently only "in like" with my students. Usually I love them but they are getting the May crazies, and I'm losing my mind.

How would you answer these questions?

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Disturbing Dreams

Hello long lost friends. I haven't posted in ten days, and have been getting many a text reminding me so, which makes me a very bad friend indeed. Kev and I have been living in chaos lately, what with the upcoming end of quarter in grad school, end of my school year, and general emergence back into the social scene after a long winter of hibernation. Things have been downright busy and disturbing around here, including our bedroom.

See? Yikes. Kev and I have ordered a new, big kid bedroom set, which comes tomorrow. However, because our new QUEEN-SIZED (!!!!) mattress arrived and my brother claimed our old bed for his college apartment, we are temporarily sleeping on a mattress on the floor. Like meth dealers. (Sorry if you are a meth dealer, but it's true. You all sleep on mattresses in your dens.)

Now, sleeping in such minimal conditions has its perks. When you lay down and gaze up at the ceiling, the fan sort of looks like a UFO.

(Sidenote: should I say "a UFO" or 'an UFO'? I know 'an' follows the vowel rule, but an UFO sounds awkward. Help.)

Also, from this vantage point your room looks ENORMOUS, since the door appears to be very, very far away.

Best of all, sleeping on the floor has induced strange, strange dreams in both Kev and I. The past few nights I have dreamt that I was a 50s housewife, wearing gloves in the supermarket. I have also dreamt that all the floors in our apartment were trampolines, which was a much more inspiring vision.

Kev's dream was much more fabulous. He dreamt that he surprised me with a baby seal, which he kept in our bathtub so that he could swim. Sadly, however, I was furious, because I felt that he was trying to torment me with heartbreak, since clearly a baby seal would grow out of the bathtub in a few short months. I feel that if this happened in real life, I would find a way to make it work, though. Baby seals are really freaking cute, and a big seal would be pretty rad. I also feel bad that Kev was picturing me mad in his dreams. Have we really been married so long that I nag him in his dreams instead of fill him with lust or joy? Sigh.

Thanks for tolerating the long delay, folks. I promise to get back to my regular 3-4 times a week schedule soon. In the mean time, what bizarre dreams have you had lately?

Monday, May 9, 2011

Fun-Sized

Sometimes, it's tough to be fun-sized.

For example, when you go to a favorite sushi place and realize that they've redone the bathrooms in a trendy unisex style that fails to differentiate for the petite woman.

How is a lady supposed to make sure no inappropriate cleavage is showing? Or check to make sure that she doesn't have bunches where there shouldn't be?

I guess the lady in question should return to her gal pal and consume as much wine as possible. At least, it worked for me.

Friday, May 6, 2011

Seis de Kevin

Today is a big day, people. See? Even Kev has been anxiously awaiting it.

Today is the date of birth of one Mr. Kevin G. Huzzah! Huzzah! Let the people exalt. However, Kev gets extremely concerned on this day, because he feels that cinco de mayo steals all of his birthday thunder. He frets about this rightfully. Yesterday, a student brought me homemade tamales for cinco de mayo. Today, nobody has brought me any food at work.

But, I digress.

Kev demands that his birthday be called 'seis de Kevin' and that it be celebrated in a style much grander than cinco de mayo. Therefore, I shall now make a list for you of six things I love about my husband, the birthday boy.

1) Kev makes anything fun. He is the best partner in crime a gal could ever have. We have laughed harder at the grocery store than more people probably do in a month. He also uses this fabulous sense of humor to humor my whims, which I appreciate. He even loves puns. Furthermore, Kev also has the best laugh ever. Really, it's more of a giggle, but that doesn't sound burly. So laugh it is. Even if I don't think something is funny, it's impossible to stay mad at him because of that laugh. Trust me, I've tried, too.

2) Kev has the widest range of interests of anyone I know. He's a rabid sports fan, he loves to cook, he is a talented artist, he reads avidly. He loves anything to do with history. I love that he's curious about the world, and can talk intelligently on such a wide array of topics.

3) I've seen the kid grow up. Because we've been friends since high school, I've seen many incarnations of this guy. He's made bad choices, good choices. He's been an athlete, a world traveler, a pre-med student, a business man, and so many things in between. It amazes me to think of how far he's come since we've met. It's even more amazing to think of how much more we're going to experience together and change together as the years pass. I feel privileged to have been a small part of that.

4) Kev pretends to hate our cats. Back when he used to contribute to this blog, he even write a whole post about our "hell spawn." However, he really, really, adores them. I am told they have epic chats in the morning before he goes to work. Kev always makes sure to buy them the good food, not the cheaper stuff I try to get away with. He worries about them when we go out of town. The old softy.

5) The man loves ice cream and is 'meh' about cake. As am I. I love that he sees the pure joy in making an unexpected stop for ice cream, and can appreciate the joy of sitting on the deck splitting a pint. Love, love, love. Believe it or not, it's a rare quality in a guy.

6) I don't know how to put this into words, but we're never bored together. We talk, we chill, we watch good (Mad Men) and terrible (Teen Mom) tv together. We read side by side. Having him in my life has made things better in every way possible. I'm blessed beyond words.

If you see KG today, be sure to give him a big hug and sing Happy Birthday really loud. He likes that. Happy 28th my dear!

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Photography Update

I took this photo about a month ago, while I was on spring break. A friend and I headed downtown with our cameras and got artsy with our bad selves. Throughout the day I think my photography skills got better. I took a few duds, but a lot of shots I really liked. And that's when it hit me.

To be a better photographer, I need to PRACTICE. Duh. I constantly tell my students that if you want to learn to do something that is hard for you, you need to practice, practice, practice. That if something is hard, then you need to work harder to make it happen for you. And yet, I haven't quite been able to apply these lessons to my own photography.

I think the problem is time. I'm not making time to take the camera out and wander. I'm not making time to complete the MCP photo challenges that I wanted to do. Grad school and work are getting in my way. To top it all off, it's been raining, and really, there are only so many things you can photograph in your home. Especially if you only have two crotchety cats rather than cute babies or something. Maybe I'll get really good at self-portraits.

So I ask you photo people out there: what websites/tutorials/books helped you unleash your inner shutterbug? Help!

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Mental Space

Oh, hello strangers. I'm sorry I haven't written in a whole week, my mental space has been cluttered. My thesis was due on Tuesday, and I spent Monday writing, editing, polishing, and getting things under control. It feels phenomenal to be able to see the finish line on my grad school horizon.

Along with seeing the finish line on grad school, though comes seeing the finish line at my current job. I've been feeling low about it lately, possibly the lowest I've felt since realizing I should leave. It's hard. I love many of the people I work with. Now that the announcements have been made about who is teaching in what positions next year, the general public knows that I'm leaving, and are processing the information in a way I processed it many moons ago. I've been truly touched by the number of people that have come to me to say that they will miss me, that they love the way I work with my students, that they feel I am an amazing teacher. On the other end of the spectrum, two of the people that made it necessary for me to go have been unspeakably cruel. Ignoring me. Not asking my opinion regarding instructional decisions being made for my students for next year. Calling me unprofessional and disappointing to my face over something trivial. All of it. Knowing I had so many people that loved and supported me in a place I'm about to leave. Knowing that people I work with daily have such a misconstrued opinion of my motives. Not knowing what I'm walking into next year.

All in all, I think the change will be good for me. I walked into my current school feeling cocky, with six months of teaching experience under my belt, sure that I was God's gift to teaching. Over the last four years, I've learned to be humble about my skills, to admit my mistakes, to grieve for and laugh with my students without letting the tough times define me as a person. I've learned how schools really work, about special ed and gifted ed and ELL and native language transfer and more acronyms than one profession should really have. I've learned how to take marker stains off of almost any thing. I've also learned that I am a force to be reckoned with, while also learning to choose my battles wisely. Yet, on some level, I think that on some level, my current co-workers will always see me as that disorganized, impulsive 22 year old, and not the thoughtful, hard-working teacher I've grown into. Maybe moving on will help me to find my voice as a teacher, in a way I've only really begun learning how to do this year.

Processing all of these upheavals in my career has been taking up a lot of mental space. I'm only now starting to clear the cobwebs that two years of accelerated grad school and school changes have left behind. Writing this long post today really helped me to put my emotions in check. So thanks for reading, friends.