Today for the first time since Thursday, our dinner will consist of something other than turkey. Michael bought a huge turkey this year. We like to have leftovers but he forgot that we wouldn't have the girls this year so we had tons left over. It's amazing how creative one can get when its needed. I've never had turkey so many different ways before.
I'm sleepy today. I couldn't sleep lastnight for some reason. Wasn't thinking about anything in particular, just restless. I didn't want to be lying down but new I couldn't get up if I was going to function today. This part of my morning is always slow so its easy to start to drag. If I were a coffee drinker, I'd need a cup or two right now.
Speaking of coffee, Aimee, if you read this, I found out that Starbucks coffee is sold at Safeway in Town :o) The sign caught my eye while I was over there waiting for Michael to come back a couple weeks ago and I thought of you.
Lucione came to do her homework at my house yesterday. She said her band teacher told her she should look into private lessons. I asked her why and she said, "Because I'm so good, just like you." She doesn't know it, but I'm giving her a brand new trumpet of her own for Christmas. They're not cheap, but she loves playing and was embarrassed that the one she had to use last year had a piece of gum where the spit valve should have been. The school got new instruments over the summer, but I still wanted her to have one of her own. I love to spoil "my girls".
I don't really spoil them, though. When they stay with me they have chores, and I find little ways for them to "earn" what they get from me. But every once in a while, like at Christmast, I like to splurge a little.
Lindsey is getting a game. One of those grabber things. You know...like the ones you see in arcades. Where you put money in and you have a certain amount of time to move the claw around and try to pick up a prize. I found a miniature version of it. We have one in the mini mart here and she could stand there for hours if we'd let her. She's gotten pretty good at it, too. So now she'll have one at home and it will drive her dad nuts. That makes it even better! It's got music and sound effects. haha!
Those are just the gifts I'll put under "their" tree. Who knows what they'll end up with under mine! ;o)
We've already got presents under our tree. Michael is home all day so I couldn't take a chance and leave his gift unwrapped. He likes to reorganize things when he gets bored so he would have stumbled across it for sure. I wrapped them and put them under the tree and so he returned the favor. Let the games begin!
I've got science in a few minutes so I'm going to go and prepare. If I don't start moving I'm liable to fall asleep here at my desk and that would not be good.
Grrr! This didn't post when it was supposed to! Hope it doesn't show up twice, now.
Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Monday, November 29, 2004
Believe it or Not...
I'm actually doing something right! What, I don't know...but according to the principal of my building,
"The Library has never run so smoothly."The past two people to run it were licensed Librarians. I stepped into it not knowing what in the world I was doing. But, my partner and I have apparently figured out things well enough to impress the boss! What a great way to start the week. The kids were really off today so it was a long, hard day. It was within the last hour of the school day that the principal sought me out to tell me. His compliments turned my whole day around. :o)
Weekend Report
Wow, what a long,whirlwind weekend this turned out to be. Thanksgiving in and of itself was fine, it was the days following. Lindsey spent a lot of time with us this weekend. She spent the night with us on Saturday. She had been asking everyday since Wednesday and we finally gave in so she was pretty much here all weekend. She went home around 4PM yesterday and her sister Lucione came by around 6PM.
Between playing games with Lindsey to keep her entertained, we managed to decorate our house. I've got lights on both living room windows, Lindsey's window, and Lucione's window. Michael also put lights up around the living room ceiling and today he's going to do the hallway (and the roof if the weather calms down). I decorated the tree...we hadn't really decided if we were going to stick with artificial this year or go find a real one, but I couldn't stand to have an undecorated tree any longer even though it meant being able to use less than half my Disney ornaments. Yeah, we like Christmas around here. :o)
That was pretty much our entire weekend. It seemed to last forever and yet it seems to have ended all too soon.
Between playing games with Lindsey to keep her entertained, we managed to decorate our house. I've got lights on both living room windows, Lindsey's window, and Lucione's window. Michael also put lights up around the living room ceiling and today he's going to do the hallway (and the roof if the weather calms down). I decorated the tree...we hadn't really decided if we were going to stick with artificial this year or go find a real one, but I couldn't stand to have an undecorated tree any longer even though it meant being able to use less than half my Disney ornaments. Yeah, we like Christmas around here. :o)
That was pretty much our entire weekend. It seemed to last forever and yet it seems to have ended all too soon.
Saturday, November 27, 2004
Busy Friday
I wasn't on my computer very much today so I'm writing this on my Palm and I'll HotSync it in the morning.
Lindsey came to visit again today. She kept her uncle and me busy playing games. We played Yahtzee, Slap Jack, War, Go Fish, and Crazy 8's. She also played games on my computer which is why I didn't have time to write a post. She didn't go home until 9:30PM.
I really didn't mind having her around, though. She's the goofy one, but I like that she feels comfortable and welcomed here. I have to be extremely busy or deathly ill to not allow her to visit. I'm thankful that doesn't happen too often.
I mentioned in my Thanksgiving post that my sister and I didn't always get along. It wasn't your normal sibling rivalry stuff, either. We literally could not stand to be in the same room together. When we were, there were a lot of glares exchanged but we never spoke unless it was to argue.
When we were really young we were civil to each other but we didn't have anything in common so we just sorta shared space becuase we had to. As we got older, we drifted further and further apart. It eventually got to a point where we just totally ignored each other.
She was a Freshman in highschool when my mom left. She grew bitter, my dad got drunk and I was left to pick up the pieces. I wiped my dad's tears when he'd sit in the dark and sob, I used a stool to do laundry because without it I couldn't reach the bottom of the washing machine. I learned to cook simple dishes and made sure my sister got up each morning for school.
This was when our relationship was at its worst because she resented me for "mothering" her and I resented her for rebelling. My dad eventually got tired of being drunk and resumed his parental duties but the damage was already done. It would be years before my sister and I would learn to accept, like, and eventually love each other.
During the tough times, I spent a lot of time with my cousin and her family. I am only 6 years older than her oldest child so she was a kind of surrogate mother to me. She would let me help her cook so I could go home and cook for my sister and dad. She'd listen when I needed to talk. She was my safety net. If something happened she was there-no questions asked, just open arms and loving words. She was always a huge part of my life. Many times, I'd spend the night on Christmas Eve so I could watch my little cousins open up their gifts before going home to wake up my dad and sister. Any birthday parties I had during highschool were given by her. She checked up on me weekly while I was at college. When the time came, she made the bridesmaid dresses for my wedding. She lives far away now and I miss her but will always be grateful for having had her in my life.
Anyway, my point of the story was to say that I aspire to be for my nieces and nephews what my cousin was for me. I want them to have a place to come for support, encouragement, or to just "be". I don't want to replace their mothers, just be someone they trust. Someone they can talk to when they need to. I want my home to be a place they can come to when they need to feel safe, loved, or just hang out.
(As for my sister... we get along a lot better now. The first time she told me she loved me I cried.)
Lindsey came to visit again today. She kept her uncle and me busy playing games. We played Yahtzee, Slap Jack, War, Go Fish, and Crazy 8's. She also played games on my computer which is why I didn't have time to write a post. She didn't go home until 9:30PM.
I really didn't mind having her around, though. She's the goofy one, but I like that she feels comfortable and welcomed here. I have to be extremely busy or deathly ill to not allow her to visit. I'm thankful that doesn't happen too often.
I mentioned in my Thanksgiving post that my sister and I didn't always get along. It wasn't your normal sibling rivalry stuff, either. We literally could not stand to be in the same room together. When we were, there were a lot of glares exchanged but we never spoke unless it was to argue.
When we were really young we were civil to each other but we didn't have anything in common so we just sorta shared space becuase we had to. As we got older, we drifted further and further apart. It eventually got to a point where we just totally ignored each other.
She was a Freshman in highschool when my mom left. She grew bitter, my dad got drunk and I was left to pick up the pieces. I wiped my dad's tears when he'd sit in the dark and sob, I used a stool to do laundry because without it I couldn't reach the bottom of the washing machine. I learned to cook simple dishes and made sure my sister got up each morning for school.
This was when our relationship was at its worst because she resented me for "mothering" her and I resented her for rebelling. My dad eventually got tired of being drunk and resumed his parental duties but the damage was already done. It would be years before my sister and I would learn to accept, like, and eventually love each other.
During the tough times, I spent a lot of time with my cousin and her family. I am only 6 years older than her oldest child so she was a kind of surrogate mother to me. She would let me help her cook so I could go home and cook for my sister and dad. She'd listen when I needed to talk. She was my safety net. If something happened she was there-no questions asked, just open arms and loving words. She was always a huge part of my life. Many times, I'd spend the night on Christmas Eve so I could watch my little cousins open up their gifts before going home to wake up my dad and sister. Any birthday parties I had during highschool were given by her. She checked up on me weekly while I was at college. When the time came, she made the bridesmaid dresses for my wedding. She lives far away now and I miss her but will always be grateful for having had her in my life.
Anyway, my point of the story was to say that I aspire to be for my nieces and nephews what my cousin was for me. I want them to have a place to come for support, encouragement, or to just "be". I don't want to replace their mothers, just be someone they trust. Someone they can talk to when they need to. I want my home to be a place they can come to when they need to feel safe, loved, or just hang out.
(As for my sister... we get along a lot better now. The first time she told me she loved me I cried.)
Thursday, November 25, 2004
Thanksgiving Recap
It’s 11:38PM and I am so beat. It’s been a long day. I was up until almost 1AM last night chatting on Yahoo with Ahka and got up just before 8AM. 8:00 is normally sleeping in for me, but I’m usually in bed closer to 11PM if not sooner.
So anyway, we baked another pie this morning because we hadn’t planned on our dessert party my sister-in-law insisted on. Then we put the turkey in the oven, made the salad and went for a drive. The weather was perfect today. We normally get really high winds and heavy rain. It was a little breezy today but not too bad. The sky was mostly cloudy, but there were a few blue patches every now and then. At one point, we noticed it was raining. Soon the rain turned to wet snow and finally into hail. Michael asked me if I was wishing for snow. Hehe That’s sort of an inside joke with us because when my niece Lucione was small, she always seemed to get snow when she wished for it.
After our ride we came back home and finished preparing the food. We cooked the stuffing separate from the turkey this year so when the turkey came out of the oven, we put in the stuffing and the sweet potatoes. Michael wanted marshmallows on them and I had never cooked them that way before so I had to recruit Ahka and her daughter to help me figure out what to do. They turned out great!
We watched the tape delayed Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and then when it was time, just sat and enjoyed each others company at the dinner table. It really was nice to have a quiet dinner alone but we kinda missed the girls.
After dinner, we cleaned up the kitchen before we got lazy, haha, and then watched Charlie Brown’s Thanksgiving on CBS. Once that was over, it was time to go to the dessert party.
Turned out I didn’t need to bring my pies after all because my sister-in-law served and she only cut her pies. Oh well, I wanted to share with my dad anyway. He’ll be happy when I call him in the morning to tell him I have leftovers.
After things settled down, Jasmine came by to visit the girls. She’s the daughter of my “cousin” who is only my cousin because he is the son of my “aunt” who isn’t really my aunt. Haha His mom and my mom have been life-long best friends so I grew up calling her my aunt. Jasmine is deaf and brought Harry Potter to watch with the girls. We couldn’t get the closed captions to work on the TV so I brought them all over to my house to watch. They had a blast.
After the movie, Lindsey came into the bedroom where Michael and I were playing Cribbage. She got all excited when she saw us playing.
“Oh! I know how to play that game! Can I play next?”
She’s 11 so I didn’t believe her. “How do you know how to play this game? I bet you don’t even know!” I like to tease her.
“I do, too! My teacher put it in our math center at school!”
So after I beat Michael by 20 points, I let her play. I’ll be darned if the little stinker didn’t beat me. I wasn’t even trying to lose! She challenged her uncle and lost so then she challenged him to Slap Jack. She wasn’t about to go home a loser. It didn’t take her long to beat him.
Now it’s almost Midnight and my house is quiet once again. All in all, it was a very good day. The turkey turned out tasty and moist, the stuffing just crisped enough, the sweet potatoes were yummy, the crab salad delicious, and I have to say MY pies were the best! Haha
I hope the rest of you had a nice Thanksgiving with your families.
So anyway, we baked another pie this morning because we hadn’t planned on our dessert party my sister-in-law insisted on. Then we put the turkey in the oven, made the salad and went for a drive. The weather was perfect today. We normally get really high winds and heavy rain. It was a little breezy today but not too bad. The sky was mostly cloudy, but there were a few blue patches every now and then. At one point, we noticed it was raining. Soon the rain turned to wet snow and finally into hail. Michael asked me if I was wishing for snow. Hehe That’s sort of an inside joke with us because when my niece Lucione was small, she always seemed to get snow when she wished for it.
After our ride we came back home and finished preparing the food. We cooked the stuffing separate from the turkey this year so when the turkey came out of the oven, we put in the stuffing and the sweet potatoes. Michael wanted marshmallows on them and I had never cooked them that way before so I had to recruit Ahka and her daughter to help me figure out what to do. They turned out great!
We watched the tape delayed Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and then when it was time, just sat and enjoyed each others company at the dinner table. It really was nice to have a quiet dinner alone but we kinda missed the girls.
After dinner, we cleaned up the kitchen before we got lazy, haha, and then watched Charlie Brown’s Thanksgiving on CBS. Once that was over, it was time to go to the dessert party.
Turned out I didn’t need to bring my pies after all because my sister-in-law served and she only cut her pies. Oh well, I wanted to share with my dad anyway. He’ll be happy when I call him in the morning to tell him I have leftovers.
After things settled down, Jasmine came by to visit the girls. She’s the daughter of my “cousin” who is only my cousin because he is the son of my “aunt” who isn’t really my aunt. Haha His mom and my mom have been life-long best friends so I grew up calling her my aunt. Jasmine is deaf and brought Harry Potter to watch with the girls. We couldn’t get the closed captions to work on the TV so I brought them all over to my house to watch. They had a blast.
After the movie, Lindsey came into the bedroom where Michael and I were playing Cribbage. She got all excited when she saw us playing.
“Oh! I know how to play that game! Can I play next?”
She’s 11 so I didn’t believe her. “How do you know how to play this game? I bet you don’t even know!” I like to tease her.
“I do, too! My teacher put it in our math center at school!”
So after I beat Michael by 20 points, I let her play. I’ll be darned if the little stinker didn’t beat me. I wasn’t even trying to lose! She challenged her uncle and lost so then she challenged him to Slap Jack. She wasn’t about to go home a loser. It didn’t take her long to beat him.
Now it’s almost Midnight and my house is quiet once again. All in all, it was a very good day. The turkey turned out tasty and moist, the stuffing just crisped enough, the sweet potatoes were yummy, the crab salad delicious, and I have to say MY pies were the best! Haha
I hope the rest of you had a nice Thanksgiving with your families.
Happy Thanksgiving!
I hope that everyone is having a great Thanksgiving with their families.
This year was "supposed" to be our first year having dinner completely alone but my sister-in-law keeps complaining about being alone. All I could say to her was, "Now you know what it feels like to be the one to be left behind!" That seems a little cold, but that's the type of humor she has...she just laughed. I've had her children for every Thanksgiving since the youngest stopped nursing. She just turned 11 in September. She's always traveled to Seattle with the rest of the family for Thanskgiving and left her kids with me. So it was always Michael and I and her kids. I'm not complaining, mind you. I love those girls like they are my own and have them so often people have actually thought they were mine!
But I was looking forward to having a peaceful Thanksgiving with just the two of us.
She, aparently, has become accustomed to the huge Thanksgiving gathering they have in Seattle so is insisting we combine. I got her to agree to dessert. Her family and mine for pie. That was fine. But I've just hung up the phone. She's busy calling anybody she can to make this dessert "party" as big as she can. I hope she baked a lot of pies because I certainly didn't.
Okay, deeeeeep breath!
Other than that, this should be a good day. Michael and I have baked the last of our pies, I'll put the turkey in the oven in an hour or so and we'll be good to go.
********************************************************
I'm Thankful For...
I am thankful for my husband. He is my best friend. He does his best tospoil take care of me in every way possible.
I am thankful for my parents. They got divorced when I was 12 but have remained friends and my biggest supporters. I got my desire to help others from my mother, as well as my natural wavy hair. I got my sense of humor from my dad.
I am thankful that my sister and I actually get along like sisters. There was a time we couldn't stand to be in the same room together. Now we talk all the time and I can't wait to see her again.
I am thankful that I have employment. Not just employment; a job I absolutely love. Children are so good at making me smile each day. I'm there till 4PM each day and even then, I sometimes have a hard time leaving.
I am thankful for our health. Michael's test results have all been favorable so far. Still waiting to hear about the monitor he had to wear, but all his other tests were good.
I am thankful that I am able to call this small paradise home. It has it's flaws, as does any place, but I am absolutely happy here and can't imagine living anyplace else.
I am thankful for my nieces and nephews who make my life full of excitement, giggles, and slobbery kisses.
And last but not least, I am thankful for my computer. As I mentioned in my Wonders of MY World post, it's what helps me meet and stay connected to the wonderful people I've met online. :o)
Happy Thanksgiving to you all! *HUGS*
This year was "supposed" to be our first year having dinner completely alone but my sister-in-law keeps complaining about being alone. All I could say to her was, "Now you know what it feels like to be the one to be left behind!" That seems a little cold, but that's the type of humor she has...she just laughed. I've had her children for every Thanksgiving since the youngest stopped nursing. She just turned 11 in September. She's always traveled to Seattle with the rest of the family for Thanskgiving and left her kids with me. So it was always Michael and I and her kids. I'm not complaining, mind you. I love those girls like they are my own and have them so often people have actually thought they were mine!
But I was looking forward to having a peaceful Thanksgiving with just the two of us.
She, aparently, has become accustomed to the huge Thanksgiving gathering they have in Seattle so is insisting we combine. I got her to agree to dessert. Her family and mine for pie. That was fine. But I've just hung up the phone. She's busy calling anybody she can to make this dessert "party" as big as she can. I hope she baked a lot of pies because I certainly didn't.
Okay, deeeeeep breath!
Other than that, this should be a good day. Michael and I have baked the last of our pies, I'll put the turkey in the oven in an hour or so and we'll be good to go.
********************************************************
I'm Thankful For...
I am thankful for my husband. He is my best friend. He does his best to
I am thankful for my parents. They got divorced when I was 12 but have remained friends and my biggest supporters. I got my desire to help others from my mother, as well as my natural wavy hair. I got my sense of humor from my dad.
I am thankful that my sister and I actually get along like sisters. There was a time we couldn't stand to be in the same room together. Now we talk all the time and I can't wait to see her again.
I am thankful that I have employment. Not just employment; a job I absolutely love. Children are so good at making me smile each day. I'm there till 4PM each day and even then, I sometimes have a hard time leaving.
I am thankful for our health. Michael's test results have all been favorable so far. Still waiting to hear about the monitor he had to wear, but all his other tests were good.
I am thankful that I am able to call this small paradise home. It has it's flaws, as does any place, but I am absolutely happy here and can't imagine living anyplace else.
I am thankful for my nieces and nephews who make my life full of excitement, giggles, and slobbery kisses.
And last but not least, I am thankful for my computer. As I mentioned in my Wonders of MY World post, it's what helps me meet and stay connected to the wonderful people I've met online. :o)
Happy Thanksgiving to you all! *HUGS*
Wednesday, November 24, 2004
WHAT'S his name?
Pumpkin pies are in the oven. YUM! Once they are done, we'll bake an Apple/Cranberry pie. I love home made pie. Especially when Michael and I bake together.
I almost let my sister-in-law (the one who broke my camcorder battery...and still has not replaced it OR returned my camcorder) spoil my mood but I snapped out of it real quick. We talked about baking all morning at work. She knew she was going to bake. She knows the grocery store closes at 6PM. So at 8PM the phone rings.
"I'm trying to bake my pies and I don't have baking powder. Can I have some of yours?"
"I don't really have a lot to spare. We're baking, too, and the can is almost empty," I tell her.
"Okaaaaaaaay. I guess I can just use this white powder stuff I found in a baggie. I don't know what it is, but I'll take a chance."
"Geez. Just come get this. I'll find some someplace else."
I always give in to her. I always bail her out. I get tired of bailing her out because she makes the same kinds of mistakes over and over again.
I ended up finding a full can hidden in our shelves but I'm not going to tell her. Not right away. It may be mean, but I'll let her sweat it out for a day or two. But lets be real here, will it even bother her? Probably not. She still has my camera, remember?
On a happier note, she brought her husbands grandson and granddaughter with her. The boy is 6, almost 7, and the girl is 4. They pulled into my driveway and my dog started barking.
The boy said, "That's a really mean dog!"
His grandma assured him, "No, he's not mean. Plus, look...he's tied up."
"What's his name, anyway?"
"His name is Sebastian."
He thinks on this for a bit and asks, "Why do they call him Bastard?"
I almost let my sister-in-law (the one who broke my camcorder battery...and still has not replaced it OR returned my camcorder) spoil my mood but I snapped out of it real quick. We talked about baking all morning at work. She knew she was going to bake. She knows the grocery store closes at 6PM. So at 8PM the phone rings.
"I'm trying to bake my pies and I don't have baking powder. Can I have some of yours?"
"I don't really have a lot to spare. We're baking, too, and the can is almost empty," I tell her.
"Okaaaaaaaay. I guess I can just use this white powder stuff I found in a baggie. I don't know what it is, but I'll take a chance."
"Geez. Just come get this. I'll find some someplace else."
I always give in to her. I always bail her out. I get tired of bailing her out because she makes the same kinds of mistakes over and over again.
I ended up finding a full can hidden in our shelves but I'm not going to tell her. Not right away. It may be mean, but I'll let her sweat it out for a day or two. But lets be real here, will it even bother her? Probably not. She still has my camera, remember?
On a happier note, she brought her husbands grandson and granddaughter with her. The boy is 6, almost 7, and the girl is 4. They pulled into my driveway and my dog started barking.
The boy said, "That's a really mean dog!"
His grandma assured him, "No, he's not mean. Plus, look...he's tied up."
"What's his name, anyway?"
"His name is Sebastian."
He thinks on this for a bit and asks, "Why do they call him Bastard?"
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Tumultuous Tuesday
What a crazy day this is turning out to be! I’m so glad tomorrow is a half-day. I couldn’t take another day like this one! Started out fine, but then it came time for my first computer class. I walked into the lab and the class was already there. The teacher said, “Sorry, we needed the extra typing time today.”
Not a big deal. Except it’s not her whole class - just a small group. She has her class divided up into groups and they are writing reports on different regions of the country. She had one member of each group come to the lab.
Their group task is to write a 5 paragraph essay about their region. Again, no big deal, but she has them trained to use their own disks to save documents. This time, however, she has each group member typing a different paragraph. What she didn’t explain to them was that their individual paragraphs are a part of a whole essay. They should have all been using the same disk. She assumed that we all knew that. Remember, they were already here when I got here.
Her students were rotating in and out of here until 9:00. When she came back to say time was up, she reprimanded them for typing their paragraphs separately. I tried to come to the students’ defense and tell her they were doing what she had trained them to do. She said they should have figured out that all of the paragraphs belonged to the same essay. I still think she was wrong to reprimand them. They’re kids. When you drill it into their heads to do something a certain way and then all of the sudden change the rules, they’re bound to make mistakes. Humans are creatures of habit, especially little humans.
(Deep breath)
Once that class was gone, the Kindergarten class showed up. Normally, I get a group of 10 to 14 out of the class of 21. I’m supposed to have 2 pretty equal groups but the teacher is taking forever figuring out their reading levels so she can divide them up. Anyway, today there’s a sub in the class so I got 18 kids at once. I wasn’t panicked until they started acting helpless. They had me literally running in circles because they “forgot” how to open and close their programs. I had to keep telling myself not to get impatient because they are, after all, only 5 yrs old and I didn’t want to start sounding like the other teacher.
Now it’s 9:45. Only two classes into my day and I’m ready to go home. Haha
My next class is science with the 2nd graders. Wish me luck!
Not a big deal. Except it’s not her whole class - just a small group. She has her class divided up into groups and they are writing reports on different regions of the country. She had one member of each group come to the lab.
Their group task is to write a 5 paragraph essay about their region. Again, no big deal, but she has them trained to use their own disks to save documents. This time, however, she has each group member typing a different paragraph. What she didn’t explain to them was that their individual paragraphs are a part of a whole essay. They should have all been using the same disk. She assumed that we all knew that. Remember, they were already here when I got here.
Her students were rotating in and out of here until 9:00. When she came back to say time was up, she reprimanded them for typing their paragraphs separately. I tried to come to the students’ defense and tell her they were doing what she had trained them to do. She said they should have figured out that all of the paragraphs belonged to the same essay. I still think she was wrong to reprimand them. They’re kids. When you drill it into their heads to do something a certain way and then all of the sudden change the rules, they’re bound to make mistakes. Humans are creatures of habit, especially little humans.
(Deep breath)
Once that class was gone, the Kindergarten class showed up. Normally, I get a group of 10 to 14 out of the class of 21. I’m supposed to have 2 pretty equal groups but the teacher is taking forever figuring out their reading levels so she can divide them up. Anyway, today there’s a sub in the class so I got 18 kids at once. I wasn’t panicked until they started acting helpless. They had me literally running in circles because they “forgot” how to open and close their programs. I had to keep telling myself not to get impatient because they are, after all, only 5 yrs old and I didn’t want to start sounding like the other teacher.
Now it’s 9:45. Only two classes into my day and I’m ready to go home. Haha
My next class is science with the 2nd graders. Wish me luck!
Monday, November 22, 2004
Monotonous Monday
9:00AM: I just looked outside. The sky is so beautiful. I'm kicking myself for not bringing a camera. The sun hasn't been up for long so the blue is a deep shade. The clouds look pink and that causes parts of the sky to look purple. The streets look deserted. Quiet for a Monday-even in a town as small as this. It seems sort of eerie; like the calm before a storm.
2:30PM: I'm sitting in the library waiting for the dismissal bell to ring. This is where I do my afterschool study hall.
Today was a pretty uneventful day as far as school. I was expecting the kids to be antsy as they usually are when they know there's a break coming up. The older ones especially. Much to my surprise and delight, they've been quite the opposite.
The building we are in is separated into two wings. The Lower Wing is where the Library, Science Lab, Office, Cafeteria/Gym, Teachers Work Room, and Kindergarten through Second grade classrooms are. The Upper Wing has the Math Lab, Teacher's Lounge, Store Rooms, and Third through Sixth grade classrooms. The Computer Lab, the Guidance Counselor's room, and the Resource Rooms are in a hallway connecting the two wings. If you were to see the building from the air, it looks like a U.
The Upper Wing, for some reason, had a strange odor lingering in the air. At times it smelled like hot candle wax. At other times it had more of a diesel smell. Whatever it was, it was strong. I'm surprised nobody got nauseous or complained of a headache. It's just started to drift down this way. I don't know how they managed to breathe it all day.
I wrote this post on my PDA today. I've really got to come up with more intersting things to write about. I'm even boring myself with this.
2:30PM: I'm sitting in the library waiting for the dismissal bell to ring. This is where I do my afterschool study hall.
Today was a pretty uneventful day as far as school. I was expecting the kids to be antsy as they usually are when they know there's a break coming up. The older ones especially. Much to my surprise and delight, they've been quite the opposite.
The building we are in is separated into two wings. The Lower Wing is where the Library, Science Lab, Office, Cafeteria/Gym, Teachers Work Room, and Kindergarten through Second grade classrooms are. The Upper Wing has the Math Lab, Teacher's Lounge, Store Rooms, and Third through Sixth grade classrooms. The Computer Lab, the Guidance Counselor's room, and the Resource Rooms are in a hallway connecting the two wings. If you were to see the building from the air, it looks like a U.
The Upper Wing, for some reason, had a strange odor lingering in the air. At times it smelled like hot candle wax. At other times it had more of a diesel smell. Whatever it was, it was strong. I'm surprised nobody got nauseous or complained of a headache. It's just started to drift down this way. I don't know how they managed to breathe it all day.
I wrote this post on my PDA today. I've really got to come up with more intersting things to write about. I'm even boring myself with this.
Christmas Bears
This is what I came home to on Friday. There are 26 bears lined up. Two for each year from 1992 through 2003. These are just the K-Mart/Wal-Mart bears. I have other Christmas bears that haven't been set out yet.
Sunday, November 21, 2004
Where Did the Weekend Go?
I can’t believe Sunday is already half over! It all seems a blur right now. I can’t figure out where the time went.
Thursday night Michael took out the artificial Christmas tree we bought last year. It was our first time using an artificial and I’m not sure we’ll keep it up this year. For some reason, he’s anxious to jump-start the holidays. It’s not decorated yet, but it’s set up and he plugs it in everyday.
Friday when I came home from work, he had placed most of my Christmas bears around the tree. The year we got married, my mom bought me Christmas bears from K-Mart because I love teddy bears (my nickname is Care Bear) of all kinds. These ones were all dressed up in pretty dresses and suits. That started a tradition. Every year, she’d send me 2 more. Always a boy and a girl. Then K-Mart started putting out plain looking bears. With just a little scarf or a sweater. Still cute, but not as pretty as previous years. Luckily, they got a new Wal-mart in her town. They had Christmas bears just as pretty as the original K-Mart bears. Up until about 3 years ago, she was sending me 2 new Wal-mart Christmas bears each year. Then we got a Wal-mart in town so I can buy my own. I wanted to buy this years when I was over there but they only had the small ones out because the manager didn’t want to “get sick of Christmas too soon” according to an employee. I WILL get my 2004 bears, though…I’ve got 1992 through 2003 and skipping a year is not an option. It doesn’t matter that my living room is getting over-run with teddy bears. Ha-ha
Saturday, Lindsey thought she had a basketball game at 1PM but it wasn’t until 4:45 so she hung out at my house. We went to the grocery store and got things for Thanksgiving dinner. I decided to let her cook dinner. She and Lucione love to help me in the kitchen because they never get to at home. I had a can of Pillsbury biscuits in the fridge so let her make us some mini pizzas. It was really easy and they turned out to be tasty as well. All she did was flatten the biscuits and then top with sauce, cheese, and pepperoni. They baked at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes. She was so proud of herself.
After we ate, we went to the Town Hall for her game. Turned out they were behind schedule so we had to watch 2 games before hers, and stayed for the game after hers. 4 games is a lot for one day.
When I listed the little tidbits about my home town the other day, I failed to mention my cousin’s pizza place. She makes really good pizza and we indulge about once every 2 or 3 weeks. Recently, though, she’s added ice cream to her menu. After the basketball games Michael treated me to a double scoop cone. Banana nut and strawberry cheesecake. I hadn’t had ice cream in so long. It was SO good.
Today I haven’t really accomplished much at all. Read a few blogs. That’s my big accomplishment of the day today. I need to figure out what I’m going to eat for lunch…especially since I skipped breakfast. We both got up later than usual and neither one of us felt like cooking or eating.
I’m going to go look at my tree and bears for a while. :o) Maybe blast some Christmas music. I so love having a satellite dish. There’s a music channel that plays “Sounds of the Season” and they’ve played non-stop Christmas music since November 1st.
Thursday night Michael took out the artificial Christmas tree we bought last year. It was our first time using an artificial and I’m not sure we’ll keep it up this year. For some reason, he’s anxious to jump-start the holidays. It’s not decorated yet, but it’s set up and he plugs it in everyday.
Friday when I came home from work, he had placed most of my Christmas bears around the tree. The year we got married, my mom bought me Christmas bears from K-Mart because I love teddy bears (my nickname is Care Bear) of all kinds. These ones were all dressed up in pretty dresses and suits. That started a tradition. Every year, she’d send me 2 more. Always a boy and a girl. Then K-Mart started putting out plain looking bears. With just a little scarf or a sweater. Still cute, but not as pretty as previous years. Luckily, they got a new Wal-mart in her town. They had Christmas bears just as pretty as the original K-Mart bears. Up until about 3 years ago, she was sending me 2 new Wal-mart Christmas bears each year. Then we got a Wal-mart in town so I can buy my own. I wanted to buy this years when I was over there but they only had the small ones out because the manager didn’t want to “get sick of Christmas too soon” according to an employee. I WILL get my 2004 bears, though…I’ve got 1992 through 2003 and skipping a year is not an option. It doesn’t matter that my living room is getting over-run with teddy bears. Ha-ha
Saturday, Lindsey thought she had a basketball game at 1PM but it wasn’t until 4:45 so she hung out at my house. We went to the grocery store and got things for Thanksgiving dinner. I decided to let her cook dinner. She and Lucione love to help me in the kitchen because they never get to at home. I had a can of Pillsbury biscuits in the fridge so let her make us some mini pizzas. It was really easy and they turned out to be tasty as well. All she did was flatten the biscuits and then top with sauce, cheese, and pepperoni. They baked at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes. She was so proud of herself.
After we ate, we went to the Town Hall for her game. Turned out they were behind schedule so we had to watch 2 games before hers, and stayed for the game after hers. 4 games is a lot for one day.
When I listed the little tidbits about my home town the other day, I failed to mention my cousin’s pizza place. She makes really good pizza and we indulge about once every 2 or 3 weeks. Recently, though, she’s added ice cream to her menu. After the basketball games Michael treated me to a double scoop cone. Banana nut and strawberry cheesecake. I hadn’t had ice cream in so long. It was SO good.
Today I haven’t really accomplished much at all. Read a few blogs. That’s my big accomplishment of the day today. I need to figure out what I’m going to eat for lunch…especially since I skipped breakfast. We both got up later than usual and neither one of us felt like cooking or eating.
I’m going to go look at my tree and bears for a while. :o) Maybe blast some Christmas music. I so love having a satellite dish. There’s a music channel that plays “Sounds of the Season” and they’ve played non-stop Christmas music since November 1st.
Friday, November 19, 2004
Friday Funnies
It's Friday, and I think we all need a laugh to start the weekend.
I just received this via e-mail. Hope you get a giggle out of it just as I did. :o)
*********************************************************
READ SLOWLY-THESE ARE RATHER CLEVER!
1. ARBITRATOR: A cook that leaves Arby's to work at McDonalds
2. AVOIDABLE: What a bullfighter tried to do
3. BERNADETTE: The act of torching a mortgage
4. BURGLARIZE: What a crook sees with
5. CONTROL: A short, ugly inmate
6. COUNTERFEITERS: Workers who put together kitchen cabinets
7. ECLIPSE: What an English barber does for a living
8. EYEDROPPER: A clumsy ophthalmologist
9. HEROES: What a guy in a boat does
10. LEFTBANK: What the robber did when his bag was full of money
11. MISTY: How golfers create divots
12. PARADOX: Two physicians
13. PARASITES: What you see from the top of the Eiffel Tower
14. PHARMACIST: A helper on the farm
15. POLARIZE: What penguins see with
16. PRIMATE: Removing your spouse from in front of the TV
17. RELIEF: What trees do in the spring
18. RUBBERNECK: What you do to relax your wife
19. SELFISH: What the owner of a seafood store does
20. SUDAFED: Brought litigation against a government official
I just received this via e-mail. Hope you get a giggle out of it just as I did. :o)
*********************************************************
READ SLOWLY-THESE ARE RATHER CLEVER!
1. ARBITRATOR: A cook that leaves Arby's to work at McDonalds
2. AVOIDABLE: What a bullfighter tried to do
3. BERNADETTE: The act of torching a mortgage
4. BURGLARIZE: What a crook sees with
5. CONTROL: A short, ugly inmate
6. COUNTERFEITERS: Workers who put together kitchen cabinets
7. ECLIPSE: What an English barber does for a living
8. EYEDROPPER: A clumsy ophthalmologist
9. HEROES: What a guy in a boat does
10. LEFTBANK: What the robber did when his bag was full of money
11. MISTY: How golfers create divots
12. PARADOX: Two physicians
13. PARASITES: What you see from the top of the Eiffel Tower
14. PHARMACIST: A helper on the farm
15. POLARIZE: What penguins see with
16. PRIMATE: Removing your spouse from in front of the TV
17. RELIEF: What trees do in the spring
18. RUBBERNECK: What you do to relax your wife
19. SELFISH: What the owner of a seafood store does
20. SUDAFED: Brought litigation against a government official
Thursday, November 18, 2004
Balance and Motion
The 1st and 2nd graders have moved on to Balance and Motion in science lab. They've been practicing making paper objects balance, exploring counter balances, etc.
Today, one of the 1st grade classes was making mobiles out of straws, paper clips, rubber bands, and index cards. We gave them a picture of what the end result should look like and it was up to them to use their materials to recreate their own.
They were all having a blast and I asked Tyra if she thought todays experiment was fun.
"Yeah! We shoulda tried this years ago!"
She's 6. :o)
I love my job!
Today, one of the 1st grade classes was making mobiles out of straws, paper clips, rubber bands, and index cards. We gave them a picture of what the end result should look like and it was up to them to use their materials to recreate their own.
They were all having a blast and I asked Tyra if she thought todays experiment was fun.
"Yeah! We shoulda tried this years ago!"
She's 6. :o)
I love my job!
"Smoking is the Leading Cause of Statistics"
So says the man in my radio. hehe
Today is the day for the Great American Smoke-Out. If you're reading this and are a smoker, I hope that you are trying to participate. Even if it's just for this one day. I encourage you to try.
I know, easier said than done. Especially coming from me. I don't smoke, but my mother does. My grandmother died of lung cancer when I was 12. The day I found out she was sick and it was caused by smoking, I vowed never to smoke and so far, I've kept my word.
Today is the day for the Great American Smoke-Out. If you're reading this and are a smoker, I hope that you are trying to participate. Even if it's just for this one day. I encourage you to try.
I know, easier said than done. Especially coming from me. I don't smoke, but my mother does. My grandmother died of lung cancer when I was 12. The day I found out she was sick and it was caused by smoking, I vowed never to smoke and so far, I've kept my word.
Wednesday, November 17, 2004
There's No Place Like Home
Back in the August archives somewhere, I wrote one of those ABC poems about "home" because I was bored one night and had nothing better to do. I've hinted around a bit about how small this place is, but haven't really elaborated so here are some tidbits about my hometown.
*I live on a small island in Southeast Alaska.
*This is an indian reserve. The only one in Alaska.
*The population is just short of 1,800.
*We have a mild climate with cool summer temperatures (usually 60-70) and warm winters (usually 30-50) and average about 150 inches of rain per year.
*This town was established on August 7, 1887. The founders moved from B.C. Canada to gain religious freedom.
*We have one grocery store.
*We have one hardware store.
*We have 2 clothing stores (One specializes in t-shirt transfers).
*We have 2 movie rental/snack stores.
*We have one gas station.
*We have one convenience store.
*We have 2 hamburger stands.
*We have one hotel/restaurant.
*We have 3 Bed & Breakfasts.
*We have one post office, no mail delivery.
*We do not have cell phone service, but they do on the next island.
*We do not have traffic lights. The speed limit is 20mph unless you are outside of the city limits, then you can drive as fast as 45mph.
*The island can only be reached via air or water.
*We have one school district that includes 3 buildings. An elementary, a Jr. High, and a highschool.
*We have one private school run by the Baptist church.
*Our town is governed by a mayor and 12 council members. All are elected.
*In order to own property, run for public office, or vote in the town elections, you must be a member of the community. If you are not a member, you need to have a work and resident permit to live here.
*To be a member, you must belong to the tribe, be approved by the council and be sworn in at an inauguration.
*There are many native dance groups. They perform at potlatches, for the tourists, and at other local events.
*At the moment, about 70% of us are unemployed.
*Up until about 4 years ago, most of our roads were unpaved. Now all roads within city limits are paved.
*We have one clinic and one dental clinic, but are often sent out of town for medical care.
I can't think of anything else anyone might find interesting. Feel free to ask questions if you want to. Hope this hasn't bored you to tears. I had nothing interesting to say so this is what you got. haha
*I live on a small island in Southeast Alaska.
*This is an indian reserve. The only one in Alaska.
*The population is just short of 1,800.
*We have a mild climate with cool summer temperatures (usually 60-70) and warm winters (usually 30-50) and average about 150 inches of rain per year.
*This town was established on August 7, 1887. The founders moved from B.C. Canada to gain religious freedom.
*We have one grocery store.
*We have one hardware store.
*We have 2 clothing stores (One specializes in t-shirt transfers).
*We have 2 movie rental/snack stores.
*We have one gas station.
*We have one convenience store.
*We have 2 hamburger stands.
*We have one hotel/restaurant.
*We have 3 Bed & Breakfasts.
*We have one post office, no mail delivery.
*We do not have cell phone service, but they do on the next island.
*We do not have traffic lights. The speed limit is 20mph unless you are outside of the city limits, then you can drive as fast as 45mph.
*The island can only be reached via air or water.
*We have one school district that includes 3 buildings. An elementary, a Jr. High, and a highschool.
*We have one private school run by the Baptist church.
*Our town is governed by a mayor and 12 council members. All are elected.
*In order to own property, run for public office, or vote in the town elections, you must be a member of the community. If you are not a member, you need to have a work and resident permit to live here.
*To be a member, you must belong to the tribe, be approved by the council and be sworn in at an inauguration.
*There are many native dance groups. They perform at potlatches, for the tourists, and at other local events.
*At the moment, about 70% of us are unemployed.
*Up until about 4 years ago, most of our roads were unpaved. Now all roads within city limits are paved.
*We have one clinic and one dental clinic, but are often sent out of town for medical care.
I can't think of anything else anyone might find interesting. Feel free to ask questions if you want to. Hope this hasn't bored you to tears. I had nothing interesting to say so this is what you got. haha
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
Superstitions and Wive's Tales
My father-in-law called me early this morning. He said, "Mom said someone tried to follow her into the bedroom this morning. Be careful for the next 4 days."
"Okay, I will," I promised and hung up.
I asked Michael what he meant by that. He didn't know but the more we talked about it, the more I figured it was one of his mothers superstitions. He dropped me off at work and said he'd go find out more.
So this is what happened. His mother had just come out of the restroom after her morning shower. She went into her bedroom, then closed and locked the door behind her. She heard something and looked up at the door. The knob was turning like someone wanted to come in. She called out asking if it was Richard, my nephew who is living with her. There was no answer so she finished dressing and then she and my father-in-law walked out into the hall. The house was quiet, all doors to the outside were still locked. They walked into Richard's bedroom and he was still sleeping. That's when my father-in-law started making phone calls.
Apparently, if you lock yourself in a room and you think you hear and see the doorknob moving like someone is trying to follow you, then you can expect something bad to happen. I don't know if it's death or injury, or what. But we've all been warned to be careful for 4 days.
How do superstitions like this start? Who was the first one to relate a bad circumstance to a locked door?
There's one that says if a bird should fly into your house, you have to trap it and kill it or someone in your family will die.
Then there's the one that says you have to give your first catch of the season away. If you don't, you won't catch any more fish.
There are a lot more that I can't think of at the moment. When did they start? Why do people belive in them?
"Okay, I will," I promised and hung up.
I asked Michael what he meant by that. He didn't know but the more we talked about it, the more I figured it was one of his mothers superstitions. He dropped me off at work and said he'd go find out more.
So this is what happened. His mother had just come out of the restroom after her morning shower. She went into her bedroom, then closed and locked the door behind her. She heard something and looked up at the door. The knob was turning like someone wanted to come in. She called out asking if it was Richard, my nephew who is living with her. There was no answer so she finished dressing and then she and my father-in-law walked out into the hall. The house was quiet, all doors to the outside were still locked. They walked into Richard's bedroom and he was still sleeping. That's when my father-in-law started making phone calls.
Apparently, if you lock yourself in a room and you think you hear and see the doorknob moving like someone is trying to follow you, then you can expect something bad to happen. I don't know if it's death or injury, or what. But we've all been warned to be careful for 4 days.
How do superstitions like this start? Who was the first one to relate a bad circumstance to a locked door?
There's one that says if a bird should fly into your house, you have to trap it and kill it or someone in your family will die.
Then there's the one that says you have to give your first catch of the season away. If you don't, you won't catch any more fish.
There are a lot more that I can't think of at the moment. When did they start? Why do people belive in them?
Monday, November 15, 2004
"Your Hair Got Cut!"
Grace, a little 1st grader was the first one to comment on my hair. She saw me and said, "Hey! Your hair got cut!"
"Yes, it did."
"I know why your hair got cut."
"You do? Why?"
"So it wouldn't get tangled up on our pencils anymore!"
Hehe...and she's absolutely right.
My sister-in-law can't quit playing with my hair. She has to grab it everytime I'm close enough for her to reach. She can't get used to my new look.
The little girl who said I had old hair asked if my hair was still old even though it's short. I told her I didn't think so and she almost looked disappointed. She's going to watch me like a hawk now just waiting for my old hair to come back, I just know it.
Other than the many comments and compliments about my hair, it was a pretty uneventful day. A typical Monday. Two of my nieces had dinner with us, though. Lucione and Alexys were here when I got home from work. They were practicing their instruments before basketball practice. When they came back, they were hungry so ate dinner.
I can't stop yawning and can't think of anything else to say so I'll stop and call it a night.
"Yes, it did."
"I know why your hair got cut."
"You do? Why?"
"So it wouldn't get tangled up on our pencils anymore!"
Hehe...and she's absolutely right.
My sister-in-law can't quit playing with my hair. She has to grab it everytime I'm close enough for her to reach. She can't get used to my new look.
The little girl who said I had old hair asked if my hair was still old even though it's short. I told her I didn't think so and she almost looked disappointed. She's going to watch me like a hawk now just waiting for my old hair to come back, I just know it.
Other than the many comments and compliments about my hair, it was a pretty uneventful day. A typical Monday. Two of my nieces had dinner with us, though. Lucione and Alexys were here when I got home from work. They were practicing their instruments before basketball practice. When they came back, they were hungry so ate dinner.
I can't stop yawning and can't think of anything else to say so I'll stop and call it a night.
Sunday, November 14, 2004
Sunday Mini
It's another stormy day today so we'll probably stick close to home. I don't mind, though, it's just good to be back. Michael surprised me with breakfast in bed this morning. Potatoes, eggs, sausage, and toast from homemade bread.
I'm sure I've mentioned before that I am a huge Disney fan. I bought Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas while I was in town and tried to stay up and watch it last night but couldn't do it. I watched maybe 20 minutes and gave up. I think I'll watch it now.
Not much to say today because it's a lazy kind of day. But I'm not complaining. :o)
I'm sure I've mentioned before that I am a huge Disney fan. I bought Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas while I was in town and tried to stay up and watch it last night but couldn't do it. I watched maybe 20 minutes and gave up. I think I'll watch it now.
Not much to say today because it's a lazy kind of day. But I'm not complaining. :o)
Saturday, November 13, 2004
WARNING! LONG Post!
I'm back home. Eating a hot bowl of venison stew that my sister-in-law's husband made for us. It's full of potatoes, carrots, celery, green beans, broccoli, red peppers, onions, and venison all cooked to perfection. I can't tell you how good it tasts. Especially after not eating lunch. It's the perfect time for stew because the wind is gusting 60 and the rain is pouring down. I don't have time to rest, though, because Lucione has a basketball game in 5 minutes and Alexys has a game immediately after. I used my PDA to record my thoughts and things while I was away so I'll paste it here in case anyone's curious about what I've been up to. :o) No real updates on Michael yet, except that we're both home. Results will arrive in a few days, I guess.
**************************************************
11/11/06: I came to town anyway. I'm not happy about being alone but in a way, it's good to be away from home. I was getting tired of the constant reminders that my husband wasn't there. I almost don't feel guilty for taking 2 personal days. I kinda feel bad but at least I've taken care of my "old hair." :o)
It's strange being in a hotel alone. I haven't done this since I had to travel between here and college.
This is the first time I've ever colored my hair. I was afraid to do it because I didn't want it to "look" dyed. I don't wear make-up very often and when I do, it's minimal. I'm all about being natural. (This is not to say I don't respect the fact that others feel differently.) I didn't need to worry at all. It turned out looking really good. The hairdresser did a wonderful job mixing the color. My hair does not look dyed at all.
The lady who did my hair turned out to be from home. She was raised at home and is, in fact, my husband's cousin! We talked about our families and were sort of amazed at how we were strangers who came from the same small town. At any rate, she did a wonderful job on my hair and I will definitely be paying her another visit.
She not only colored my hair. She chopped it as well. I gave about 10 inches to Locks of Love. Even minus the 10 inches my hair falls just below my shoulders. I've got some subtle layers which helps my head feel a lot lighter. Best of all, my hair won't get caught in car doors or under the elbows of my students.
It has been kind of nice not having to worry about a schedule. Being able to wander in and out whenever I please and go wherever the wind blows me. :o)
I did have one tense moment today, though. I heard a knock on the door. At the time, nobody knew my room number and I wasn't expecting anyone. I went to the door (which had been locked with both the chain and the dead bolt) and looked out the peep hole. I saw a shadow but couldn't tell who it was. I asked but they didn't answer. They eventually left either because they figured I wasn't going to fall into their trap or they didn't recognize my voice and realized they had the wrong room.
11/12/04: It's about 9:45AM right now. I've been awake since about 7:00. That's sleeping in for me and it felt good. Especially since I fell asleep BEFORE 11:00PM. I've already had my breakfast. All that's left is to countdown the hours and minutes till I see the love of my life again. He leaves Sitka in an hour and a half. A short 50 minutes after that he'll be landing HERE!!!
I'm going to go next door and waste some time in the mall so Housekeeping can clean my room. (Oh! I almost forgot...when I first walked into my room yesterday, I was feeling a little lost because it's been so long since I've slept alone in a hotel. So I walk over to the bed to sit for a while. The little card the housekeepers leave behind caught my eye. My housekeeper's name? Mike. I had planned on keeping my husband's name a secret but I slipped the other day so I guess there's no sense in hiding it anymore. Haha I don't call him Mike, but everyone else does.) Now I'm off to the mall. :o)
It's now 11:45. I'm sitting in a small corner booth at McDonalds sipping a coke and watching passers by. This is one of my favorite pastimes. I remember when my mom lived in Seattle. I was in Jr. high. My mom was working for a factoring company at the time and South Center was on the way to her office. She'd sometimes take me to work with her and I'd get $0.10 for every envelope I stuffed. My first real pay check came from that company. It was for $20.00 :o) On the days I didn't feel like stuffing envelopes, Mom would drop me off at the mall. She'd give me enough money to buy lunch and some to spend however I wanted. My only instructions were to look for clothes I wanted and meet her at a certain spot at 5:15 so she could look over my choices and purchase them for me. I'd be at a near run trying to come up with a list Mom and I would agree on as quick as I could. I'd then find a comfortable spot and watch people. Mothers with children, teenagers in love, elderly couples. When I felt like moving, I'd walk a bit, find a new spot to sit and on and on. My mom often said she felt bad about "abandoning" me at the mall for hours but I always assured her I didn't feel abandoned. I loved watching people and making up their life stories in my head.
I have to keep chuckling to myself sitting here because of the other silly people coming and going through the doors of this popular eating establishment. Why am I laughing? Because these people are just as silly as the people at home. There is a bright yellow sign on one of the doors with an arrow directing you to Please use other door. I've watched 4...make that 5 people now push on the door multiple times before reading the impossible-to-miss bright yellow sign.
12:23PM I just got off the airport ferry. Yes...thats right...we have to take a ferry to the airport. Comes with the territory when you live in SE Alaska. :o)
Shucks. I just looked at the monitor. Michael's flight should have landed just as I got here but it won't arrive until 1:00. Oh,well. At least I know he's on his way. Minutes away. 20 LONG minutes away. hehe
They just announced the arrival of flt. 62! YAY!!! :o)
5:30PM: We're at the hotel now. We had lunch at McDonalds because it's right next door and he was in a hurry to eat. He surprised me with a peanut butter pie. He keeps commenting on my hair. I didn't tell him how short it was because I wanted to see his reaction. We went to Walmart for a bit for something to do. They had a big singing Grinch. haha Michael hinted he was going to go back and buy it. I kinda hope doesn't. I like musical things but what will I do with a life size singing, animated Grinch?
We ran into my step-mom in the lobby. She's going to tag along with us when we go to the movies.
11:30PM: We just got home. We decided to go to two movies. The Incredibles and The Polar Express. I was so excited to find that Friday Night Lights was replaced by The Polar Express. We thoroughly enjoyed both of them.
11/13/04: 10:20AM: We just got back to the hotel. We went to breakfast around 7:30 and then went to the store. I needed lotion and Michael wanted vitamins. I'm telling you, he's worse than a woman when it comes to shopping. We got what we needed, but also a tripod for our camera, a saxophone playing Coca-Cola bear, and so much more.
Besides the shopping, the only other thing that bugs me is how he pretends to hear me even when he doesen't. I hate having to repeat myself and sometimes I have to as many as 3 or 4 times. Most of the time I can deal with it but if I'm in an irritable mood, I get impatient. Anyway, at breakfast I was trying to tell him something and he couldn't hear me. After repeating myself about 3 times without success, I said, "You're lucky I missed you so much. I'd normally be irritated by now."
1:43PM: We're finally on the ferry. We don't leave until 2:30 but we had to allow time to return the rental car and ended up being early. We'll get home at 4:00 AK time (5:00) our time.
4:15 our time: We're part way home. The waters are rough. I'm glad I don't get seasick. The rocking is making me sleepy though.
5:15 our time: HOME At least back on our island. I'll be home in about 2 minutes. :o)
**************************************************
11/11/06: I came to town anyway. I'm not happy about being alone but in a way, it's good to be away from home. I was getting tired of the constant reminders that my husband wasn't there. I almost don't feel guilty for taking 2 personal days. I kinda feel bad but at least I've taken care of my "old hair." :o)
It's strange being in a hotel alone. I haven't done this since I had to travel between here and college.
This is the first time I've ever colored my hair. I was afraid to do it because I didn't want it to "look" dyed. I don't wear make-up very often and when I do, it's minimal. I'm all about being natural. (This is not to say I don't respect the fact that others feel differently.) I didn't need to worry at all. It turned out looking really good. The hairdresser did a wonderful job mixing the color. My hair does not look dyed at all.
The lady who did my hair turned out to be from home. She was raised at home and is, in fact, my husband's cousin! We talked about our families and were sort of amazed at how we were strangers who came from the same small town. At any rate, she did a wonderful job on my hair and I will definitely be paying her another visit.
She not only colored my hair. She chopped it as well. I gave about 10 inches to Locks of Love. Even minus the 10 inches my hair falls just below my shoulders. I've got some subtle layers which helps my head feel a lot lighter. Best of all, my hair won't get caught in car doors or under the elbows of my students.
It has been kind of nice not having to worry about a schedule. Being able to wander in and out whenever I please and go wherever the wind blows me. :o)
I did have one tense moment today, though. I heard a knock on the door. At the time, nobody knew my room number and I wasn't expecting anyone. I went to the door (which had been locked with both the chain and the dead bolt) and looked out the peep hole. I saw a shadow but couldn't tell who it was. I asked but they didn't answer. They eventually left either because they figured I wasn't going to fall into their trap or they didn't recognize my voice and realized they had the wrong room.
11/12/04: It's about 9:45AM right now. I've been awake since about 7:00. That's sleeping in for me and it felt good. Especially since I fell asleep BEFORE 11:00PM. I've already had my breakfast. All that's left is to countdown the hours and minutes till I see the love of my life again. He leaves Sitka in an hour and a half. A short 50 minutes after that he'll be landing HERE!!!
I'm going to go next door and waste some time in the mall so Housekeeping can clean my room. (Oh! I almost forgot...when I first walked into my room yesterday, I was feeling a little lost because it's been so long since I've slept alone in a hotel. So I walk over to the bed to sit for a while. The little card the housekeepers leave behind caught my eye. My housekeeper's name? Mike. I had planned on keeping my husband's name a secret but I slipped the other day so I guess there's no sense in hiding it anymore. Haha I don't call him Mike, but everyone else does.) Now I'm off to the mall. :o)
It's now 11:45. I'm sitting in a small corner booth at McDonalds sipping a coke and watching passers by. This is one of my favorite pastimes. I remember when my mom lived in Seattle. I was in Jr. high. My mom was working for a factoring company at the time and South Center was on the way to her office. She'd sometimes take me to work with her and I'd get $0.10 for every envelope I stuffed. My first real pay check came from that company. It was for $20.00 :o) On the days I didn't feel like stuffing envelopes, Mom would drop me off at the mall. She'd give me enough money to buy lunch and some to spend however I wanted. My only instructions were to look for clothes I wanted and meet her at a certain spot at 5:15 so she could look over my choices and purchase them for me. I'd be at a near run trying to come up with a list Mom and I would agree on as quick as I could. I'd then find a comfortable spot and watch people. Mothers with children, teenagers in love, elderly couples. When I felt like moving, I'd walk a bit, find a new spot to sit and on and on. My mom often said she felt bad about "abandoning" me at the mall for hours but I always assured her I didn't feel abandoned. I loved watching people and making up their life stories in my head.
I have to keep chuckling to myself sitting here because of the other silly people coming and going through the doors of this popular eating establishment. Why am I laughing? Because these people are just as silly as the people at home. There is a bright yellow sign on one of the doors with an arrow directing you to Please use other door. I've watched 4...make that 5 people now push on the door multiple times before reading the impossible-to-miss bright yellow sign.
12:23PM I just got off the airport ferry. Yes...thats right...we have to take a ferry to the airport. Comes with the territory when you live in SE Alaska. :o)
Shucks. I just looked at the monitor. Michael's flight should have landed just as I got here but it won't arrive until 1:00. Oh,well. At least I know he's on his way. Minutes away. 20 LONG minutes away. hehe
They just announced the arrival of flt. 62! YAY!!! :o)
5:30PM: We're at the hotel now. We had lunch at McDonalds because it's right next door and he was in a hurry to eat. He surprised me with a peanut butter pie. He keeps commenting on my hair. I didn't tell him how short it was because I wanted to see his reaction. We went to Walmart for a bit for something to do. They had a big singing Grinch. haha Michael hinted he was going to go back and buy it. I kinda hope doesn't. I like musical things but what will I do with a life size singing, animated Grinch?
We ran into my step-mom in the lobby. She's going to tag along with us when we go to the movies.
11:30PM: We just got home. We decided to go to two movies. The Incredibles and The Polar Express. I was so excited to find that Friday Night Lights was replaced by The Polar Express. We thoroughly enjoyed both of them.
11/13/04: 10:20AM: We just got back to the hotel. We went to breakfast around 7:30 and then went to the store. I needed lotion and Michael wanted vitamins. I'm telling you, he's worse than a woman when it comes to shopping. We got what we needed, but also a tripod for our camera, a saxophone playing Coca-Cola bear, and so much more.
Besides the shopping, the only other thing that bugs me is how he pretends to hear me even when he doesen't. I hate having to repeat myself and sometimes I have to as many as 3 or 4 times. Most of the time I can deal with it but if I'm in an irritable mood, I get impatient. Anyway, at breakfast I was trying to tell him something and he couldn't hear me. After repeating myself about 3 times without success, I said, "You're lucky I missed you so much. I'd normally be irritated by now."
1:43PM: We're finally on the ferry. We don't leave until 2:30 but we had to allow time to return the rental car and ended up being early. We'll get home at 4:00 AK time (5:00) our time.
4:15 our time: We're part way home. The waters are rough. I'm glad I don't get seasick. The rocking is making me sleepy though.
5:15 our time: HOME At least back on our island. I'll be home in about 2 minutes. :o)
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
20 Hrs. and Counting.......NEVERMIND :o(
Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town, Deck the Halls, Jingle Bells, We Wish You a Merry Christmas…these are the songs I’m hearing as I type this. Lucione brought her trumpet home today so I made her practice. She kinda grumbled around because she would have rather watched TV but I said, “You went though the trouble of bringing it home, you might as well practice.”
“Ooookayyyy,” she said.
She’s actually gotten so much better since she started. When she first brought the trumpet home, she was so proud as she announced, “I got my trumpet today!”
But when asked if she could play any notes, “I can blow in it,” was her reply. Hehe
My dad came to dinner again tonight. He likes my meatballs. :o) I always enjoy our visits and I kept encouraging him to come by more often. I hope he heard and complies. I would love nothing more than to have more time with him.
I think when Lucione puts her trumpet away I’ll take her for a walk. I love being out in the cold and she’s got $8.00 burning a hole in her pocket. We have a store here called Mini-Mart. It’s like a miniature grocery store and they sell fast food type foods. I’ll let her buy herself a snack or something.
I don’t know if I’ll have time to post in the morning…I’ll probably be too excited to think straight anyway. Haha If I don’t, you won’t hear from me until Friday evening at the earliest.
8:55PM UPDATE: I just hung up the phone with my husband. The doctors heard an extra heartbeat while they were hooking him up for his stress test. Twice. Now he's got monitor wires all over him until tomorrow at 4:30 so that they can see if it's a fluke or if he, indeed, has an irregular heart beat. They're not too concerned at the moment because once the exercise started, during the exercise, and following exercise, his heartbeat was fine. But now that they have him all wired up, he's got another appointment tomorrow and then another Friday morning. That means he won't be traveling back home until then. Which means I now have sub and a day off for nothing. He told me to go to Town anyway. Get away for a bit and he'd join me Friday. I may, I probably will...but now the queasy feeling in my stomach is back. This has been one rollercoaster of a ride and I've never been a fan of the scary rides.
“Ooookayyyy,” she said.
She’s actually gotten so much better since she started. When she first brought the trumpet home, she was so proud as she announced, “I got my trumpet today!”
But when asked if she could play any notes, “I can blow in it,” was her reply. Hehe
My dad came to dinner again tonight. He likes my meatballs. :o) I always enjoy our visits and I kept encouraging him to come by more often. I hope he heard and complies. I would love nothing more than to have more time with him.
I think when Lucione puts her trumpet away I’ll take her for a walk. I love being out in the cold and she’s got $8.00 burning a hole in her pocket. We have a store here called Mini-Mart. It’s like a miniature grocery store and they sell fast food type foods. I’ll let her buy herself a snack or something.
I don’t know if I’ll have time to post in the morning…I’ll probably be too excited to think straight anyway. Haha If I don’t, you won’t hear from me until Friday evening at the earliest.
8:55PM UPDATE: I just hung up the phone with my husband. The doctors heard an extra heartbeat while they were hooking him up for his stress test. Twice. Now he's got monitor wires all over him until tomorrow at 4:30 so that they can see if it's a fluke or if he, indeed, has an irregular heart beat. They're not too concerned at the moment because once the exercise started, during the exercise, and following exercise, his heartbeat was fine. But now that they have him all wired up, he's got another appointment tomorrow and then another Friday morning. That means he won't be traveling back home until then. Which means I now have sub and a day off for nothing. He told me to go to Town anyway. Get away for a bit and he'd join me Friday. I may, I probably will...but now the queasy feeling in my stomach is back. This has been one rollercoaster of a ride and I've never been a fan of the scary rides.
Well It's About Time!
So my husband finally called. FINALLY At work, no less. haha The principal pulled me out of Science to tell me I had a phone call. It was my sister-in-law in the superintendents office telling my he tried to call but got my voice mail. As we were talking, the principal answered the phone at my other sister-in-laws (the careless one) desk and then said, "Kerri, I am NOT your secretary! Your husbands on line 1." He's got a good sense of humor, though, and we're always teasing each other so I know I'm not going to get in trouble for this. hehe
I'm on a short break right now...one of my library classes got cut short and my next (and last class of the day) is in about 8 minutes.
My husbands appointment is in 2 hours. *crossing fingers* I'm really hoping all goes well.
I'm on a short break right now...one of my library classes got cut short and my next (and last class of the day) is in about 8 minutes.
My husbands appointment is in 2 hours. *crossing fingers* I'm really hoping all goes well.
Good Mornin'
I just got Lucione out the door to school. She’s got an early class where she is learning native art. The rest of the Jr. High and High school don’t start until 9:00. The elementary starts at 8:10 but I don’t go in until 8:30. I’m the last one there in the morning, but also the last one there at the end of the day.
I made a Caesar salad for myself for lunch. It was too big for my container so I had the extra for breakfast. Yeah, I’m weird…but a weird girls gotta eat too, no?
My husband’s doctor appointment is this afternoon so I’m a bit nervous waiting for him to call. I know it will all work out, and even if they do find a problem with his heart, at least they’ll be aware of it and work to correct it.
PLUS, it’s Wednesday. That means tomorrow is Thursday. That means he’s coming home. That also means I’m going to Town. Haha In case you can’t tell, I’m in a better mood today. Despite the fact that my sister-in-laws dog insists on camping on my porch and raising all kinds of ruckus with the neighborhood dogs. I had her come down and pick him up last night…told her the trouble he causes…but she didn’t tie him up so he was back this morning. *sigh*
Now it’s time for me to go. It’s after 8 and duty calls. I’ll try to post again tonight, but probably will not tomorrow. If we stay overnight (IF..yeah, right), I’ll post on Friday evening. Unless, of course, I take my friends advice and stay in Town the entire weekend as she suggested. But we shall see.
I made a Caesar salad for myself for lunch. It was too big for my container so I had the extra for breakfast. Yeah, I’m weird…but a weird girls gotta eat too, no?
My husband’s doctor appointment is this afternoon so I’m a bit nervous waiting for him to call. I know it will all work out, and even if they do find a problem with his heart, at least they’ll be aware of it and work to correct it.
PLUS, it’s Wednesday. That means tomorrow is Thursday. That means he’s coming home. That also means I’m going to Town. Haha In case you can’t tell, I’m in a better mood today. Despite the fact that my sister-in-laws dog insists on camping on my porch and raising all kinds of ruckus with the neighborhood dogs. I had her come down and pick him up last night…told her the trouble he causes…but she didn’t tie him up so he was back this morning. *sigh*
Now it’s time for me to go. It’s after 8 and duty calls. I’ll try to post again tonight, but probably will not tomorrow. If we stay overnight (IF..yeah, right), I’ll post on Friday evening. Unless, of course, I take my friends advice and stay in Town the entire weekend as she suggested. But we shall see.
Tuesday, November 09, 2004
Getting Better All the Time
IF my husbands flight left at 5PM AK time like it was supposed to, he should just be getting his bag from baggage claim. He was supposed to leave at 4:30 but there was a delay. He's supposed to call again once he's settled wherever it is he's sleeping while in Sitka. I'm in better spirits tonight, thank goodness. I was getting tired of that weird mood I was in and the queasy feeling in my stomach has gone away.
My daddy came to dinner tonight. :o) I don't know why, but having him around makes me feel like a kid again. He doesn't treat me like one, quite the opposite, actually. But I always just feel peaceful and happy when he's near like I did back in my carefree childhood days.
I'm going to cook for him again tomorrow. I think maybe homemade meatballs. Something with hamburger, anyway.
Work today was not so bad. Felt like it was dragging towards the end. I think it's a combination of not enough sleep and the possibility of an overnight stay in Town. I say possibility, but I don't think there's much doubt in my mind that we'll do it. I just haven't told the principal yet. It's not like they'll miss me at work. I team teach two out of the three classes I have and the computer classes are only 1 hour each morning. Besides, we haven't been to Town in a while...it will do me some good to get away. I need to buy some Christmas wrap, too. Yeah, that settles it. We'll be staying overnight. :o)
Lucione has finished her homework so I'm going to find something to entertain us before she gets "square eyes". When she was little I'd tell her if she watches too much TV her eyes will become as square as the screen. hehe
My daddy came to dinner tonight. :o) I don't know why, but having him around makes me feel like a kid again. He doesn't treat me like one, quite the opposite, actually. But I always just feel peaceful and happy when he's near like I did back in my carefree childhood days.
I'm going to cook for him again tomorrow. I think maybe homemade meatballs. Something with hamburger, anyway.
Work today was not so bad. Felt like it was dragging towards the end. I think it's a combination of not enough sleep and the possibility of an overnight stay in Town. I say possibility, but I don't think there's much doubt in my mind that we'll do it. I just haven't told the principal yet. It's not like they'll miss me at work. I team teach two out of the three classes I have and the computer classes are only 1 hour each morning. Besides, we haven't been to Town in a while...it will do me some good to get away. I need to buy some Christmas wrap, too. Yeah, that settles it. We'll be staying overnight. :o)
Lucione has finished her homework so I'm going to find something to entertain us before she gets "square eyes". When she was little I'd tell her if she watches too much TV her eyes will become as square as the screen. hehe
Early Morning Nonsense
Lucione said her bed time was 9:30 so I put her to bed and got myself ready as well. I was in bed before 10:00 but couldn’t sleep. I got up about 10:30 and washed all of the 3 dishes in the sink and just as the water drained, the phone rang.
It was my husband. We were planning on meeting up in Town on Thursday. I was going to go over in the morning (taking a personal day off from work...is this turning into a habit?) to get my hair done and wait for his flight to arrive then we’d come home on the afternoon ferry. NOW, he says he wants me to take TWO days off so we can overnight and go see a movie.
Visiting a movie theater is a big treat for us because we have to actually travel to get to one. Not far, but its still traveling and we have to overnight. So going to see a movie takes some planning. The theater is small…only two screens…so choices are limited but when you don’t have a lot and its such a rare indulgence, you just take what you can get. This time around, our choices are Friday Night Lights and The Incredibles. When he told me this, I said, “Oh! I wanted to see The Incredibles!”
“Yeah, I know…that’s why I called. Maybe you should just tell them you’re going to take 2 days off and we’ll go to a movie.”
Now that he’s put that out there, I don’t even feel like working. I’m not motivated today. Once I finally fell asleep (after Midnight) I slept until 5:30AM. I didn’t get up till 6:00 hoping to catch a few more minutes but never did. I couldn’t bring myself to eat breakfast, but did pack a lunch. I’m sure I’ll be hungry by then. That’s a whole 5 hours from now. Sometime between now and then I’ll find my appetite.
I felt bad about cooking a pizza last night. Not just because I know I should have given Lucione a more nutritious meal, but because my dad called. My step-mother is out of town again. She leaves town a lot for business (she’s our town secretary) and my dad always complains about not eating while she’s gone because he doesn’t want to cook for just one. I’m always telling him to eat with us when he’s alone but he always forgets. He remembered last night. But he can’t eat pizza. *sigh* Guess I’ll have to actually cook tonight.
I think I’ll watch some TV before I have to leave for work…maybe force myself to eat some toast or something. I’m planning on leaving early for work today. I have to visit the ATM machine. I can’t go to the bank during bank hours because our bank is only open from 10AM to 2PM and I work during those hours. Oh well, I get to walk in the crisp morning air and listen to the frost crunch beneath my shoes. I hope your day is a good one. At least I think it's daytime. I can still see the moon. :o)
It was my husband. We were planning on meeting up in Town on Thursday. I was going to go over in the morning (taking a personal day off from work...is this turning into a habit?) to get my hair done and wait for his flight to arrive then we’d come home on the afternoon ferry. NOW, he says he wants me to take TWO days off so we can overnight and go see a movie.
Visiting a movie theater is a big treat for us because we have to actually travel to get to one. Not far, but its still traveling and we have to overnight. So going to see a movie takes some planning. The theater is small…only two screens…so choices are limited but when you don’t have a lot and its such a rare indulgence, you just take what you can get. This time around, our choices are Friday Night Lights and The Incredibles. When he told me this, I said, “Oh! I wanted to see The Incredibles!”
“Yeah, I know…that’s why I called. Maybe you should just tell them you’re going to take 2 days off and we’ll go to a movie.”
Now that he’s put that out there, I don’t even feel like working. I’m not motivated today. Once I finally fell asleep (after Midnight) I slept until 5:30AM. I didn’t get up till 6:00 hoping to catch a few more minutes but never did. I couldn’t bring myself to eat breakfast, but did pack a lunch. I’m sure I’ll be hungry by then. That’s a whole 5 hours from now. Sometime between now and then I’ll find my appetite.
I felt bad about cooking a pizza last night. Not just because I know I should have given Lucione a more nutritious meal, but because my dad called. My step-mother is out of town again. She leaves town a lot for business (she’s our town secretary) and my dad always complains about not eating while she’s gone because he doesn’t want to cook for just one. I’m always telling him to eat with us when he’s alone but he always forgets. He remembered last night. But he can’t eat pizza. *sigh* Guess I’ll have to actually cook tonight.
I think I’ll watch some TV before I have to leave for work…maybe force myself to eat some toast or something. I’m planning on leaving early for work today. I have to visit the ATM machine. I can’t go to the bank during bank hours because our bank is only open from 10AM to 2PM and I work during those hours. Oh well, I get to walk in the crisp morning air and listen to the frost crunch beneath my shoes. I hope your day is a good one. At least I think it's daytime. I can still see the moon. :o)
Monday, November 08, 2004
Miserable Monday
The house is too quiet. Lucione is doing her homework and will be leaving for basketball practice in a few minutes. I don’t normally watch a lot of TV. My husband has shows he likes to watch but with him gone, the TV didn’t get turned on.
I couldn’t bring myself to cook today. I threw in a frozen pizza. Yeah, I know…shouldn’t’ feed the kid junk food but at least I fed her.
Work wasn’t so bad. I kept myself busy so I wouldn’t have too much time to just sit and think. That’s when I’d normally pick up the phone and call home.
This is ridiculous. I shouldn’t be feeling like this! It’s not like he left me. He’s got a doctors appointment and will be home in 3 more days. It hasn’t even been 12 hours since I’ve seen him. I’m being an immature baby and I hate it. Maybe if I actually get some sleep tonight tomorrow won’t be as bad. I was awake until after 1AM and then woke back up at 3:30. Dozed off and on but didn’t feel rested when I got up at 6:00.
Today was another cold day. Blue skies and cool temps…my favorite weather combination.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I’m irritated with my sister-in-law today. She was planning on borrowing someone else’s video camera to take with her to the basketball tournament. She forgot to call them until it was too late so begged me to borrow mine. It was a Christmas gift from my husband last year. I don’t like for her to borrow things from me because, frankly, she’s careless. She’s always losing her purse, locking herself out of her home, forgetting things, etc. I knew if I let her use the camera, something bad would happen.
BUT, my husband is incapable of saying no to his family. When one of them says jump, he doesn’t bother asking how high, he just starts jumping till they tell him he could stop.
She left on Friday and came back on Sunday. She ruined my battery. Not the small one that comes with the camera, the big one. She dropped it. Twice. It’s being held together with sports tape. Somehow she was able to laugh about her clumsiness as she told me what happened. She asked how much a battery costs. I told her I had no idea because the camera was a gift.
And she still has my camera.
I couldn’t bring myself to cook today. I threw in a frozen pizza. Yeah, I know…shouldn’t’ feed the kid junk food but at least I fed her.
Work wasn’t so bad. I kept myself busy so I wouldn’t have too much time to just sit and think. That’s when I’d normally pick up the phone and call home.
This is ridiculous. I shouldn’t be feeling like this! It’s not like he left me. He’s got a doctors appointment and will be home in 3 more days. It hasn’t even been 12 hours since I’ve seen him. I’m being an immature baby and I hate it. Maybe if I actually get some sleep tonight tomorrow won’t be as bad. I was awake until after 1AM and then woke back up at 3:30. Dozed off and on but didn’t feel rested when I got up at 6:00.
Today was another cold day. Blue skies and cool temps…my favorite weather combination.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I’m irritated with my sister-in-law today. She was planning on borrowing someone else’s video camera to take with her to the basketball tournament. She forgot to call them until it was too late so begged me to borrow mine. It was a Christmas gift from my husband last year. I don’t like for her to borrow things from me because, frankly, she’s careless. She’s always losing her purse, locking herself out of her home, forgetting things, etc. I knew if I let her use the camera, something bad would happen.
BUT, my husband is incapable of saying no to his family. When one of them says jump, he doesn’t bother asking how high, he just starts jumping till they tell him he could stop.
She left on Friday and came back on Sunday. She ruined my battery. Not the small one that comes with the camera, the big one. She dropped it. Twice. It’s being held together with sports tape. Somehow she was able to laugh about her clumsiness as she told me what happened. She asked how much a battery costs. I told her I had no idea because the camera was a gift.
And she still has my camera.
Sunday, November 07, 2004
Sunday is Almost Over
That makes me sad because next comes Monday which means my husband is leaving town. I can’t figure out why I’m so uneasy about his leaving. It’s not like we’ve never been apart. I’ve gone to my mothers before and been there as long as 3 weeks before he joined me. He went away for training a couple years ago and was gone for almost 3 months. This is only for 3 nights. I almost teared up thinking about it tonight. I know I’m over reacting. But I can’t stop. I think since his brother died, I’m not as comfortable with us being apart. These tests they’re doing are just a precaution; a way to rule out or head off major heart problems. All of his tests up to this point have had good results. Nothing to worry about. SO WHY AM I WORRYING? This is going to be one long week.
It’s been raining all day. Not regular rain…really wet snow. You can’t tell its snow until it hits the windshield except that it’s really cold. As we were driving past one of our many lakes this afternoon, he gasped and asked, “What is that?” I panicked thinking he saw a dead animal on the road or something and started looking at the road in front and behind us. “Over there!” he shouted.
Sheesh…you’d think it was his first time seeing swans. Okay, we usually only spot one at a time, but still…no need to be so dramatic. Hehe There were actually 10, but one swam away. I guess it was camera shy. :o)
I just hung up the phone. I told Lucione to get ready to move in and also had a little chat with Lindsey. Lucione played on both the A and B teams in the tournament this weekend. As a member of the A team, she placed 2nd overall. As a member of the B team she made the All-Tourney team. A successful weekend all around. Lindsey went to support her sister, but also got her hair cut. I asked her if it was cut short or if she just got a trim. Her reply?
“If you see me from far away and I’m not wearing pink, I look like a boy.”
She cracks me up.
It’s been raining all day. Not regular rain…really wet snow. You can’t tell its snow until it hits the windshield except that it’s really cold. As we were driving past one of our many lakes this afternoon, he gasped and asked, “What is that?” I panicked thinking he saw a dead animal on the road or something and started looking at the road in front and behind us. “Over there!” he shouted.
Sheesh…you’d think it was his first time seeing swans. Okay, we usually only spot one at a time, but still…no need to be so dramatic. Hehe There were actually 10, but one swam away. I guess it was camera shy. :o)
I just hung up the phone. I told Lucione to get ready to move in and also had a little chat with Lindsey. Lucione played on both the A and B teams in the tournament this weekend. As a member of the A team, she placed 2nd overall. As a member of the B team she made the All-Tourney team. A successful weekend all around. Lindsey went to support her sister, but also got her hair cut. I asked her if it was cut short or if she just got a trim. Her reply?
“If you see me from far away and I’m not wearing pink, I look like a boy.”
She cracks me up.
Saturday, November 06, 2004
Saturday Babble
It’s about 36 degrees right now. My kind of weather. This afternoon it was a bit warmer but not by much. There’s a wind blowing that adds a wind chill factor. I knew it was going to be a cold, dry day before I even looked outside. My hair is a great indicator of weather. If I brush it and it gets all full of static and drives me up a wall, I know not to be expecting rain any time soon. :o) As much as I love the cold, I can live without the shocks I get every time I reach for a door knob or anything else, for that matter.
The power company was having serious problems this morning. It started at around 7AM. (Why was I awake at 7AM on a Saturday morning???) The power went out for almost an hour. Once it came on, it continued to go off and on at irregular intervals until after Noon. It was averaging about once an hour, sometimes more. Needless to say, our house was quiet. I was afraid to turn anything on because there was no telling how long we’d have electricity. If we weren’t waiting for a phone call, we would have left the house sooner than we actually did.
The phone call we were waiting for finally came around 1PM. It was our niece Lucione. She’s on the Jr. High basketball team and they are playing in a tournament this weekend. She called to give us her latest results. They defeated their opponent and earned a berth in the championship game. Tip-off is in an hour. I wanted so much to see her play but, again, was feeling a bit selfish and wanted this weekend to be just me and my husband so I pretended I didn’t hear him ask if I wanted to jump on the ferry this morning. We’ll just watch the video tomorrow night.
Once we hung up the phone, we headed out the door. We drove to the other end of the island and took a little walk. I love breathing the cold air. The sky was blue and the world was peaceful. The ponds were starting to freeze and looked like glass jigsaw puzzles where the pieces were all sizes of triangles. I don’t think I noticed that before. I didn’t have my camera so don’t have pictures to share. We had a nice time, though, and if we didn’t have to catch the grocery store, probably would have wandered around a bit longer. We only have one grocery store and it closes at 5:30 on Saturdays.
My husband is definitely leaving on Monday. The weather forecast calls for snow showers tonight and tomorrow. We probably won’t get any, but the thing that worries us is the wind. It’s supposed to be blowing all week so taking a chance on the planes is not a good idea. You never know when they’re going to stop flying to wait for calmer conditions. The smartest plan seems to be leaving a day early to take advantage of the ferry. This will give him a chance to spend time with his sister but means an extra night for me alone. :o(
I’ve decided to have Lucione stay with me so hopefully I’ll be too busy taking care of her to realize I’m lonesome. Not that a 12 year old will need a whole lot of taking care of…but ya know what I mean. I’ll think of something to bake, or pull some games off the shelf or something. She finds great pleasure in sending my game pieces back to Home when we play Sorry! and likes to give me as many cards as possible when playing Uno.
The power company was having serious problems this morning. It started at around 7AM. (Why was I awake at 7AM on a Saturday morning???) The power went out for almost an hour. Once it came on, it continued to go off and on at irregular intervals until after Noon. It was averaging about once an hour, sometimes more. Needless to say, our house was quiet. I was afraid to turn anything on because there was no telling how long we’d have electricity. If we weren’t waiting for a phone call, we would have left the house sooner than we actually did.
The phone call we were waiting for finally came around 1PM. It was our niece Lucione. She’s on the Jr. High basketball team and they are playing in a tournament this weekend. She called to give us her latest results. They defeated their opponent and earned a berth in the championship game. Tip-off is in an hour. I wanted so much to see her play but, again, was feeling a bit selfish and wanted this weekend to be just me and my husband so I pretended I didn’t hear him ask if I wanted to jump on the ferry this morning. We’ll just watch the video tomorrow night.
Once we hung up the phone, we headed out the door. We drove to the other end of the island and took a little walk. I love breathing the cold air. The sky was blue and the world was peaceful. The ponds were starting to freeze and looked like glass jigsaw puzzles where the pieces were all sizes of triangles. I don’t think I noticed that before. I didn’t have my camera so don’t have pictures to share. We had a nice time, though, and if we didn’t have to catch the grocery store, probably would have wandered around a bit longer. We only have one grocery store and it closes at 5:30 on Saturdays.
My husband is definitely leaving on Monday. The weather forecast calls for snow showers tonight and tomorrow. We probably won’t get any, but the thing that worries us is the wind. It’s supposed to be blowing all week so taking a chance on the planes is not a good idea. You never know when they’re going to stop flying to wait for calmer conditions. The smartest plan seems to be leaving a day early to take advantage of the ferry. This will give him a chance to spend time with his sister but means an extra night for me alone. :o(
I’ve decided to have Lucione stay with me so hopefully I’ll be too busy taking care of her to realize I’m lonesome. Not that a 12 year old will need a whole lot of taking care of…but ya know what I mean. I’ll think of something to bake, or pull some games off the shelf or something. She finds great pleasure in sending my game pieces back to Home when we play Sorry! and likes to give me as many cards as possible when playing Uno.
Friday, November 05, 2004
Today was a good day. Michael and I just kinda lazed around all morning. It felt like a Sunday. After lunch we went for a drive. The sky was looking weird. Depending on which direction you looked, the weather was different. One way, the sky was blue with a few bright white clouds. The other way, the clouds were dark gray. At one point in our drive, we must have crossed that imaginary line because all of the sudden, the temp dropped a few degrees and it was snowing on us. Not much and not enough to stick on the ground, but it WAS snow! The first of the year. :o)
After our drive we came home and cooked dinner. Didn’t do anything worth mentioning after dinner. Now it’s 10:30 and I’m ready to relax and watch some TV or something.
After our drive we came home and cooked dinner. Didn’t do anything worth mentioning after dinner. Now it’s 10:30 and I’m ready to relax and watch some TV or something.
Whew!
Now I can breathe and rest easy. I changed the URL so I can now view my blog from home AND answer comments! It was driving me crazy not being able to. I figure, if someone’s going to take the time to read what I type and then respond, I ought to be courteous enough to acknowledge their effort.
Now that the mess is cleaned up (I had to go back to prior posts and fix links so they’d go to the new URL.) I can relax and eat my dinner. I’ll come back later and write a proper post. I did respond to comments, though. Yay!
Now that the mess is cleaned up (I had to go back to prior posts and fix links so they’d go to the new URL.) I can relax and eat my dinner. I’ll come back later and write a proper post. I did respond to comments, though. Yay!
Thursday, November 04, 2004
*Waving My White Flag*
*IF YOU'RE READING THIS, PLEASE REMOVE THE UNDERSCORE FROM THE URL AND RELOAD THIS PAGE, THANK YOU.*
Okay, I’m tired of butting heads with Blogger Tech Support and I hate not being able to respond to comments while I’m at home so I’m giving in. They win. I’m removing the underscore from my blog URL. So those of you who have me on your blog rolls (HA! All 3 of you!!) or bookmarked, if you plan to keep me on your rolls and want to go through the trouble, please update your links to my blog by removing the underscore from the URL. I’ll change it Friday evening. Hopefully, that’s enough time for those interested enough to see this.
Okay, I’m tired of butting heads with Blogger Tech Support and I hate not being able to respond to comments while I’m at home so I’m giving in. They win. I’m removing the underscore from my blog URL. So those of you who have me on your blog rolls (HA! All 3 of you!!) or bookmarked, if you plan to keep me on your rolls and want to go through the trouble, please update your links to my blog by removing the underscore from the URL. I’ll change it Friday evening. Hopefully, that’s enough time for those interested enough to see this.
Mini-Vacation...Sorta
I have today and tomorrow off from work. It’s time for Parent/Teacher conferences but since I don’t have my own classroom this year, I’m ducking out. Parents are never interested in hearing about the pull-outs (science, computers, music, library) anyway so my day is pretty much nothing but sitting around and occasionally waving to someone walking by in the hallway.
I also just wanted to be home. Back in June, one of my husbands brothers died of a sudden massive heart attack. Since then, the doctors have been keeping a close eye on my hubands cholesterol and blood pressure. On Tuesday, he’s traveling to Sitka to have further testing on his heart. I’m concerned because they said that the type of heart failure his brother had is genetic. I just need to be close to him for a few days before he leaves. He’ll only be gone from Tuesday (possibly Monday if the weather is bad) to Thursday, but I’m not too crazy about being alone. I just may have to have Lucione stay with me to keep me company.
So, anyway, I’m being selfish for the next few days.
He just came home from the post office. If you’ve read my blog from the beginning…or at least within the past 3 months or so…you know all about him and his gift-giving games. Well, with more than a month to Christmas, guess what? He came home from the post office today and had a box. Two, actually, but one was something I had ordered. The other, he says, is “one” of my Christmas gifts. And so it begins. Again. Haha
We’re off to take a drive now.
I also just wanted to be home. Back in June, one of my husbands brothers died of a sudden massive heart attack. Since then, the doctors have been keeping a close eye on my hubands cholesterol and blood pressure. On Tuesday, he’s traveling to Sitka to have further testing on his heart. I’m concerned because they said that the type of heart failure his brother had is genetic. I just need to be close to him for a few days before he leaves. He’ll only be gone from Tuesday (possibly Monday if the weather is bad) to Thursday, but I’m not too crazy about being alone. I just may have to have Lucione stay with me to keep me company.
So, anyway, I’m being selfish for the next few days.
He just came home from the post office. If you’ve read my blog from the beginning…or at least within the past 3 months or so…you know all about him and his gift-giving games. Well, with more than a month to Christmas, guess what? He came home from the post office today and had a box. Two, actually, but one was something I had ordered. The other, he says, is “one” of my Christmas gifts. And so it begins. Again. Haha
We’re off to take a drive now.
Wednesday, November 03, 2004
I’m apparently among the minority in my state AND my community. I’m feeling defeated today. *sigh*
I’m not going to be a baby about it, though. I’m not going to whine and I’m trying really hard not to pout. I keep reminding myself that even though I may be in the minority this time around, at least I had the opportunity to voice my opinion. I made the conscious choice and effort to make a difference and that’s what counts. Right?
I’m not going to be a baby about it, though. I’m not going to whine and I’m trying really hard not to pout. I keep reminding myself that even though I may be in the minority this time around, at least I had the opportunity to voice my opinion. I made the conscious choice and effort to make a difference and that’s what counts. Right?
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
It's Election Day...Did YOU Vote?
I voted before I came to work. The polls opened at 7AM and I happen to live right next door so it would have been silly to come to work without voting first. The nice thing about being in a tiny community on a small island is that no matter what time of day you choose to vote, there is no waiting line. Something I did notice, however, that is probably not common elsewhere, were the election judges. I’ve read other blogs recently where people were planning on bringing books to read while waiting to vote. Here, it was the other way around. I walked in to vote and the judges for 2 out of the 3 elections we voted for today had movies set up to keep them entertained. The table for our national election had a little portable TV/VCR combo thing and the table for our local council elections had a mini DVD player. That’s the first time I’ve seen something like that during elections and have a hard time believing it happens like that everywhere. Felt kind of sorry for the 3rd table that didn’t have a movie to watch. HA! I’d love to get paid $10/hr to sit around and watch movies all day.
Actually, no I wouldn’t. I have too much fun at the job I already have. Yesterday was a nerve-wracking day for me because I had to lead my first science lab. I knew the material so that wasn’t the problem. I was afraid the kids would act like they normally do when there is a sub. It was the 6th grade class and they can be quite rambunctious at times so I had no idea what to expect. Wouldn’t you know they were perfect little angels? They listened, answered my questions, and actually completed the lab with time to spare. They were even polite to each other! Phew! I know, I know… it seems silly for me to be nervous being that this is my job and has been for a long time. That’s just how I am. I get insecure when I don’t need to be and end up surprising myself in the end almost every time.
Actually, no I wouldn’t. I have too much fun at the job I already have. Yesterday was a nerve-wracking day for me because I had to lead my first science lab. I knew the material so that wasn’t the problem. I was afraid the kids would act like they normally do when there is a sub. It was the 6th grade class and they can be quite rambunctious at times so I had no idea what to expect. Wouldn’t you know they were perfect little angels? They listened, answered my questions, and actually completed the lab with time to spare. They were even polite to each other! Phew! I know, I know… it seems silly for me to be nervous being that this is my job and has been for a long time. That’s just how I am. I get insecure when I don’t need to be and end up surprising myself in the end almost every time.
Monday, November 01, 2004
Illegal Character?
So Blogger tech support tells me that my blog address has an illegal character in it. I guess I'm not supposed to use an underscore. If that's the case...why have they let me use it for the past 5 to 6 months? Why can I view my blog from work and not from home? GRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrr
I guess if I have to, I'll just remove the underscore...what a pain. Okay, so I'm only on 3 blogrolls...but that's beside the point. My point is, if an underscore is an illegal character then they should not have allowed me to use it in the first place.
I guess if I have to, I'll just remove the underscore...what a pain. Okay, so I'm only on 3 blogrolls...but that's beside the point. My point is, if an underscore is an illegal character then they should not have allowed me to use it in the first place.
Miscellaneous Monday
My weekend was extremely busy. Friday night we were busy getting our house ready for Halloween. Decorating the windows, sorting candy, and cleaning house. When I wasn’t cleaning, I was busy with my computer. I had to re-install everything and it’s telling me it’s virus-free. But I can’t view my blog from home. I can view it here at work and when I’m home I can view almost every one of my favorites. I can’t view my own or Jamie’s. I have asked Blogger but all I’ve received from them is an e-mail telling me they received my e-mail.
Our community celebrated Halloween on Saturday. (NO I did not wear a custume. I stopped wearing costumes in 6th grade. If you don't know why, it's somewhere in the archives. I'm lazy to link it. hehe) That was a busy day, also, because my niece Stephanie came to town and had her birthday party that day. My husband’s family loves to have family dinners; always big and always loud. I only stayed a couple of hours, I couldn’t last any longer.
Kids started knocking on my door around 6PM and continued until almost 11. I still have tons of candy left over, though. We do this every year. We buy enough, and then second guess ourselves and buy extra about the week before. Then we’re left with tons of extra candy even if we hand it out by the handful.
Today I have to lead a science lab alone for the first time. My partner is sick and I usually play assistant to her. She’s in the science lab all day and I’m only in there for 2 classes a day, so I do more one-on-one things with the kids while she leads the lesson. This is a lab we’ve done with 2 other classes, so hopefully I’ll be able to handle it on my own. There is a sub in there, but I’m basically on my own for this. Wish me luck.
Our community celebrated Halloween on Saturday. (NO I did not wear a custume. I stopped wearing costumes in 6th grade. If you don't know why, it's somewhere in the archives. I'm lazy to link it. hehe) That was a busy day, also, because my niece Stephanie came to town and had her birthday party that day. My husband’s family loves to have family dinners; always big and always loud. I only stayed a couple of hours, I couldn’t last any longer.
Kids started knocking on my door around 6PM and continued until almost 11. I still have tons of candy left over, though. We do this every year. We buy enough, and then second guess ourselves and buy extra about the week before. Then we’re left with tons of extra candy even if we hand it out by the handful.
Today I have to lead a science lab alone for the first time. My partner is sick and I usually play assistant to her. She’s in the science lab all day and I’m only in there for 2 classes a day, so I do more one-on-one things with the kids while she leads the lesson. This is a lab we’ve done with 2 other classes, so hopefully I’ll be able to handle it on my own. There is a sub in there, but I’m basically on my own for this. Wish me luck.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
