Shell-shocked

Hey, everyone! I just wanted to write a quick update on my adventures so far, after moving to the Dallas area, because I've noticed it's been a while since I've written anything here. I really do have lots of ideas, honest!! It's just a matter of finding the time. And how have I been spending my time? Lend me your ear (or your eyes, as the case may be)...

Since moving to Irving (from West Texas) two months ago, I think I have FINALLY gotten over my culture shock. There is a TON of diversity out here, which can be good and bad, but I think I'm mostly adjusted. Here are some noteable events you might enjoy hearing about.

1) About a month ago, I was an hour and fifteen minutes late for work one day because I was stuck in some serious traffic. I meant to look for the news article online, but from what I understand, near Texas Stadium (where there are 3 main roads that converge), a large truck carrying oilfield equipment misjudged the height of an upcoming bridge and hit it. I think it must have messed up the roads somehow, because they've still got one lane on two different highways closed for construction. I had a feeling when I saw 3 helicopters and one news photographer walking down the road that something was up...

2) About a couple of weeks ago while I was testing out my new fireplace, I ended up smoking up my whole apartment. I THOUGHT the damper was open, honest. But apparently it was only open a crack. My smoke alarm went off and wouldn't stop, so I called the emergency maintenance people from my apartment since it was after hours. 45 minutes later (wow, fast turnaround time for an emergency), the maintenance guy came and was very nice. He showed me how to unhook the smoke alarm if it were to ever happen again, and he showed me how to REALLY open the damper. (I felt a lot better after it took him a while to figure it out himself...)

3) When my parents were over here for Thanksgiving, with their dog, the pooch pooped on my living room carpet ... in front of my dad while he was watching TV. Um, that incident sort of speaks for itself...

4) It's a good thing I tested out my fireplace, because a serious Arctic chill has breezed through the Metroplex, bringing ice, sleet, and snow. I have a cool job where they told us the office was open as usual, but to not come to work if you didn't deem the roads safe. After watching the news where they said there were only 13 major accidents and 17 minor accidents this morning, and realizing that all that water on the road would be frozen when I would have gotten off work tonight, I opted to take a snow day. So here I am -- viola -- with the time to finally sit down and write this. :)

Until next time...

New pet peeves, with explanations

1) PEOPLE WHO TAP ON FURNITURE WHENEVER THEY WALK PAST IT. Rat-a-tat. OK, so you can grow fingernails. I get it. I can understand folks feeling the need to do so every once in a while, but if you walk past the same desk or counter day in, day out, sometimes multiple times a day, and still insist on tapping...?? Therapists out there, please help me out. Is this some sort of narcissistic thing where you feel you have to announce your presence whenever you walk by? an anal-sanguine disorder of some kind? (If you tap really loudly on that metal file cabinet by my desk, you will startle me.)

2) BRINGING YOUR CHILDREN TO WORK WITH YOU. I can understand if you couldn't find a baby sitter, or if the child is ill. If the kid were to sit quietly and entertain themselves while their parent is working, it is no distraction, no problem at all. (Some of my coolest childhood memories were when my sister and I used to go to work with my hairstylist mom and read or play hangman under the dryers in the beauty salon.) But when the kid is still an infant and crying very loudly while coworkers are oohing and aahing, and those of us innocent bystanders from 50 feet away are trying to work, it can get very annoying. (Especially if the kid is like 14 and decides to practice his drum rhythms on a nearby desk.)

3) PEOPLE WHO EAVESDROP ON CONVERSATIONS, AND INVITE THEMSELVES TO JOIN IN, FROM 50 FEET ACROSS THE ROOM. Self-explanatory.

4) HIGHWAY DRIVERS SITUATED IN THE LEFT LANE, GOING 1 MPH BELOW THE SPEED LIMIT, REFUSING TO SPEED UP. I think public officers would say this could be dangerous. Especially if you're stuck behind the vehicle with a semi on your right and 40 cars behind you. Note: I'm not sure if this is necessarily a problem in large metropolitan areas.

5) ASKING SOMEBODY WHAT THEY'RE READING. I am probably sitting quietly by myself because I want to be by myself. If you don't see me put my book away when you walk into the room, I would prefer to not engage in a conversation at this time.

6) PEOPLE WHO TALK AND TALK AND TALK WITHOUT LETTING YOU GET A WORD IN EDGEWISE. Also self-explanatory. I usually try to head for the nearest exit.

7) PEOPLE WHO TALK TOO LOUDLY. When combined with number 6 above, it can be lethal for your eardrums. Perhaps you grew up on a farm, but you're in the city now. They've invented electronic devices that will let you project your voice to hundreds of people at a time, with minimal voice strain. But I am standing right here.

8) THAT BEARDED OXYCLEAN GUY ON TV. This sort of goes along with number 7. Hey, if I buy just one of your toilet bowl cleaners, would you please stop yelling at me?!??

9) OVER-CRITICISM. I realize that God gave you a brain, and that He gave you the ability to develop opinions. But must you over-develop them, and share them at the drop of a hat as if they were the law? Can you please just say something nice -- about anybody??

10) OVER-LISTICISM. This occurs when one creates list after list about just about every... oh, crap. Perhaps I should stop. Uh, thanks for reading and, um, goodbye for now. :o)

Reflections of the third decade, part I

People used to tell me that once you hit age 30, life would officially begin. That there was some sort of magical event or something that would happen once you hit your third decade that would suddenly make life easier. "Yeah, right," I would think to myself (zealous little 24-year-old that I was). But I think now I know what they were talking about.

I have not reached the fountain of youth. (Nor do I believe it exists, really...) But I have found a certain non-pecuniary eccentricity that makes life SO much more exciting than it was, say, a year ago at age 29.

For some reason, I finally feel validated as an adult. Not the I'm-going-off-to-college-and-will-only-call-my-parents-when-I-need-money type of adult. Not the I'm-going-to-stay-up-and-hang-with-my-college-friends-even-though-I-have-a-full-time-job-to-wake-up-for-tomorrow-morning type of adult. It's more of the please-stop-treating-me-like-I'm-fresh-out-of-high-school-because-now-I'm-in-my-THIRTIES! type of adult. I must say it's pretty cool. :D

OK, so I'm a little weird. My favorite color is dark blue so just about EVERYTHING I own & wear is that color. I've rediscovered the Carpenters. I would much rather eat my sack lunch in the car than have to endure chatty gossip in the breakroom at work. The highlight of my Saturday morning is monitoring Turner Classic Movies like a hawk to see if I've got their cartoon episode on tape. (Well, OK, so I'm ultra-quirky, too.)

I think one thing that helps this bicentennial baby embrace her thirties is the fact that she still doesn't have any husband or kids to tie her down. I'm still a little bit bummed about that. But I don't know very many moms who can dance a jig with her cat and not feel any shame.

What the heck is it with becoming a mom nowadays, anyway? Several of us single gals get together every once in a while and talk about how weird it is that ALL our friends are getting married and having kids. (Hey, did you catch the irony? a huge chunk of our friends are sitting around discussing our singleness? :">) Friends that we haven't seen in years -- we didn't know they were dating, now suddenly they're married, and now suddenly they've got a cute kid and another one on the way. Whew! Where the heck has time gone??

I don't know about everybody else, but for me it's the full-time job thing. That tends to eat up all my time and make the calendar days float away like rapidly running water. Or maybe it's just that as you get older, you begin to encounter more and more people from your past. You've had more time to accumulate more friends, right?

By the way, I apologize again for taking so long to post something. It must be that pesky 8 to 5 thing... :">

My contact saved my life

Or it at least saved me a trip to the emergency room.

Maybe.

A few weeks ago I was getting dressed to go out with my family and I couldn't decide on my jewelry. I rarely get to wear my dressy jewelry and I was torn between two pieces. Then I remembered a set I received for Christmas from one of my students. I fished it out of my bathroom drawer.

Uh oh.

I had forgotten that the backing of one of the earrings had broken off the last time I wore it. Since it was set in my mind to wear that particular set, I scurried about the house, looking for super glue. I finally found a tube in the back of one of our numerous junk drawers.

Oh no.

The cap was missing, so once I opened the darn thing there would be no way to store it. What the heck! That's what the dollar store is for. I grabbed a pen with a sharp point and carefully pricked an opening into the top of the tube.

Oh crap!!

Although done carefully enough, there was too much pressure in the tube and super glue came shooting out! Literally. Not only did it get all over my hands, but a huge blob shot straight into my eye! I panicked for a split second and tried not to blink. I ran to the bathroom to take out my contact. Right smack in the middle of it was a blob of glue that had already dried.

*relieved sigh*

That was a close one. Imagine what would have happened if my contact wasn't in. If the glue landed directly on my eye. Or if I had blinked and my eyelids permanently stuck together! Okay, that may be a bit extreme, but given the right amount of glue combined with prolonged blinking time and ya never know.

So, two weeks later I'm fine, my eye's fine and my superglue covered hands are fine. Only a small blob of glue on my left ring finger fingernail is left as a reminder of that perilous night. Oh, and thankfully my contacts are disposable, so I was able to pop a new one in and head off to dinner with the fam. Unfortunately, after all the drama, the glue didn't fix my earring and I had to go with my alternate choice.

This looked fun & easy

Jared posted this book meme over at The Thinklings and I thought I'd give it a whirl.*

1. A book that made you cry
Most recently: The Chosen by Chaim Potok -- when Danny and his dad FINALLY talk

2. A book that scared you
Dunno . . . I don't scare easily, so I can't recall any book ever scaring me . . .

3. A book that made you laugh
Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding

4. A book that disgusted you
The Atomic Bomb: Voices from Hiroshima and Nagasaki by Kyoto Selden (Editor) I had to read it for a history class my last semester of college. I couldn't finish it; it left me with some horrible mental pictures that still plague me if I think about it. Although, maybe that's the point . . .

5. A book you loved in elementary school
Sideways Stories from Wayside School and Wayside School is Falling Down by Louis Sachar (his book Holes is awesome, btw. I just don't think it was out when I was in elementary; I didn't know anything about it until '04.)

6. A book you loved in middle school
I didn't have a particular favorite book in middle school, but I read a lot of Christopher Pike's horror books one particular year. My sister-in-law was astonished when I told her that while we were at Half Price Books last month. She couldn't believe my parents let me read that. I don't think they knew about it.

7. A book you loved in high school
The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin. After reading it for 9th grade English class, I went out and bought all the books in the series

8. A book you loved in college
The Brother's Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

9. A book that challenged your identity or your faith
Is it bad that I have to think about this one???

10. A series that you love
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

11. Your favorite horror book
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

12. Your favorite science-fiction book
Never liked science fiction, but I'll try to read anything that's recommended.

13. Your favorite fantasy book
Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, but I must give an honorable mention to Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time series.

14. Your favorite mystery book
Hmm . . . can't think of one off the top of my head . . . I've always had a fondness for Sherlock Holmes, though.

15. Your favorite biography
Evidence Not Seen by Darlene Deibler Rose - however, this is more of an autobiography.

16. Your favorite coming-of-age book
Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy, if that counts. "Coming-of-age" sounds so nebulous to me.

17. Your favorite book not on this list
Any of Jane Austen's novels





*If any of you Thinklings happen to read this, I apologize for not trackbacking . . . nearly two years of semi-blogging and I still can't figure out how to do it.

Disclaimer

OK, I seriously have things to say that I can post on here -- honest! My apologies, again, for not writing for a heck of a long time, again. I assure you I shall strive to compose more postings. :)

By the way -- a belated Happy Birthday to Debbie!! Hope you had a good one, Dude!! :D

The end is near

Hello Blog. I've missed you . . . Actually, I've been spending most of my time on myspace, fighting off the internet predators one click at a time. But now that summer is almost here I should have more time for blogging. Problem is I may not have much to blog about since I won't be working everyday. *sigh* It's an endless cycle.

I have exactly four days of work left. Actually, I have four days left of working with the kids. I still have to "work" for another week and a half after that, but the hard part will all be over. And not a minute too soon, I'm exhausted; it's been a long year.

I have mixed feelings about this school year ending. I'll be ecstatic when this season is over. Heck, my coworker and I have been counting down the days for over a month now! It will be wonderful to be in a less stressful and threatening work environment ((I write that in faith; I have yet to find a new job...ok, ok, i have yet to seriously search for a new job...I'm just so darn tired!)). It will also be wonderful to love kids again and not hate myself for yelling at large groups of three- and four-year-olds. I know my next teaching position may also be challenging, but if I could survive this school year, I could survive anything. I just need to get out of this current situation ASAP.

Despite how excited I am for this to be over and done with, how happy I will be to be away from all the crying children and my psychotic boss, I'm starting to realize I will miss my kids. At least some of them. I think. And I'll also miss my coworkers. At least three of them.

Last week was teacher's appreciation week and I was showered with gifts from my kids. Mostly fruit baskets (at least 6 of them!) and flowers. I felt so loved! A card with one of the baskets said: "I love you . . . because you have been a great, sweet and wonderful teacher throughout my first school year. I'm just beginning my life and I have learned a lot from you. Although I won't see you in a couple of weeks; I will always remember you as my sweet, sweet teacher. I love you forever . . . . Nathalie"

How precious is that?! I even got a little misty-eyed. Sure, her mom wrote the whole thing, but Nathalie at least wrote her own name at the bottom. I taught her that!!!

But as I've began packing up my classroom, I can't help but remember all the vision I had coming into the school year. I somehow lost most, if not all, of that. And that grieves me. I feel as though I failed my students in a way. I allowed crappy and incompetent administration deter me from my goals this first year of real teaching. At the same time, I know I impacted my students; otherwise, they wouldn't love me so much. I just pray they remember the love and fun songs, not the shouting and impatience that too easily surfaces. Now I know how to pray over the summer in preparation for next year. You can pray that I will diligently seek the Lord and store up for the upcoming year. And while you're at it, please pray that I find a new job . . .

Mine for intelligence?

As Charlie Brown would say, UGH, I CAN'T STAND IT!! It's been WAY too long since I've written here -- my overdue apologies!!

OK, here are some things that have been rolling around in my brain for a while -- hopefully they've solidified to something somewhat intelligible. (I hope that's a word... well, it is now. :))

This is old news, but what the heck was the deal with all those mining accidents that were happening a couple of months ago?!??? Was the devil just taking aim at a particular industry & destroying some innocent lives, or are there just some primitive ideas that need to be conquered here?? In case it's the latter, I humbly submit the following.

(Well, OK. I idealistically submit the following.)

Why do we need human beings stuck in coal mines every day? I was telling someone the other day that maybe in certain parts of the country it's a cultural thing. (Here in West Texas, working out on the oil fields can be pretty risky, but we do it anyway.) But still I'm sure they're down in the mines risking their lungs & their lives so they can earn money & support their families with an honest living.

And (I know I keep harping on this) why the heck do we keep paying government money for that antiquated space shuttle program? All that rocket science just so we can prove YET again, mission after mission, that there AIN'T no life on other planets, no matter how you spin it??? There is some serious brainpower, though, on those projects.

So why not combine the two efforts and design robots or something to do the mining for us? No lives risked necessarily, just all the dirty work done by remote control. And maybe the coal miners could be trained instead to do the operation and tech support, etc. I personally would MUCH rather spend my tax dollars supporting a state-of-the-art safety technology for coal miners rather than ANOTHER rinky-dinky ol' shuttle mission. We've been to the moon. We've got the solar system mapped out. Can't we PLEASE just save a few lives with our brainpower and tax dollars???

If only we weren't so wishy-washy.

I'm in mourning.

Spring Break is over.

*sigh*

Four weeks until our next day off; six weeks after that before school is over . . . . I hope I make it . . .

This first year of teaching has been interesting, to say the least. I was forced to brush up on my Spanish. I learned how to manage a class of 22 3-year-olds. I learned how to manage 21 of them while helping the 22nd get cleaned up after throwing up all over the place. I learned how to help a 3-year-old get cleaned up after throwing up all over the place without gagging and throwing up myself. These are all lessons that will get me far in life, I'm sure.

I've discovered that being a grown-up can be over-rated sometimes. My biggest issue is with money. I hate it! We work our butts off to earn it and then we have to turn around and give it away and we're left with hardly anything. I mean, I make upwards of $30000, but after paying for my certification program, school loans, credit cards, car, school loans, cell phone, insurance, etc., I'm lucky if I have $200 a month left for food, gas, and other necessities. Not only does college prepare you for the field of work you plan to go into, it also teaches you how to stretch a dollar and live off of Ramen Noodles and Totino's Pizza (yeah, my trainer at the gym loves that diet). Thankfully, my certification program will be paid off in June and I can start saving more for England. I should also have my credit cards paid off in a year. It's the school loans that are killing me. Oi!

With trying to finish the school year strong, searching for a new and better job for next year, learning how to juggle grown-up finances, and laying the ground work for me to move to England next year, I'm learning how to trust Jesus more. Trying to learn how to trust Jesus more. Any suggestions???

You know you've become a big-city driver when . . .

. . . you're excited that your drive to work only took 46 minutes instead of its normal 52 minutes.

. . . you buy a new car and your rational for weaving in and out of traffic shifts from "my car's big, old, paid off, and has a few dents...what's the deal if I get another dent?" TO "my car's small, fast, and I have great insurance...besides, that BMW driver doesn't want his car dented..."

. . . you don't even bother to slow down in a construction zone; in fact, you get ticked off when the car in front of you slows down!

. . . you speed up to block in the driver that impatiently tried to pass you.

. . . you speed up to prevent the driver that was in front of you, that impatiently tried to pass the driver in front of her, from getting her spot back.

. . . honking your horn becomes instinctual and part of your daily commute.

In Memory of Black Tuesday

Having a hard time because everyone except you had someone to celebrate Valentine's Day with? Do you find yourself scheduling an appointment with your therapist every February 15th because you wake up with a self-pity hangover from the day before?

I say it's about durn time we perpetual singles went against the grain. No more getting sick when you pass those chocolate-heart displays at the supermarket. No more wanting to strangle the deliveryboy when he brings a giant vase of flowers for somebody ELSE. No more being the victim!! Why should the couples have all the fun???

My single friend, following are some tips I humbly submit to you. (Disclaimer: I am kidding, of course. If you actually try any of these ideas, I ain't gonna be held responsible...)

LIVING WITH BLACK TUESDAY
1. After the deliveryboy drops off those giant flowers at somebody's desk at work, have your lasso ready and rope the dude. Pin him down and demand to know where YOUR flowers are. (Just make sure your boss isn't watching...)
2. If the deliveryboy is really cute, untie him and invite him to coffee.
3. If you're no good at roping, try firing missiles. Grab some chocolate hearts... aim... and FIRE. The deliveryboy has been conquered.
4. If that doesn't work, drive to the flower shop and let the air out of the deliveryboy's tires. If you can't get flowers, NO ONE can...
5. Distribute antacid tablets at work. Surely everyone will need help digesting all that chocolate.

ALTERNATIVES TO BLACK TUESDAY
1. Move to California, open a tire shop, and celebrate Valley Tires Day.
2. Distribute half-eaten watermelons at work, in celebration of Melon-Rinds Day.
3. Tie orange peels around your neck, in celebration of Smellin-Rinds Day.
4. Go to the park. Celebrate Flying-Kites Day.
5. Go to the DPS and pay any outstanding tickets. No sense in celebrating Dodging-Fines Day.

V-Day: The Aftermath

Chocolate.

Tons of chocolate.

I had a great v-day, actually. Here are the highlights:

*At work I was in charge of watching two classes, which equals approximately 40 kids. You're right, having to coordinate 40+ kids in storing backpacks, jackets and lunches, as well as bathroom time wasn't so great. But sitting and watching movies for over 3 hours was nice.

*I had about 18 valentines this year ((( I have 22 kids, but one was absent and a few were cheap . . . ;o) ))). I got a lot of the usual cheesy dollar store valentines glassware, a few cutesy small stuffed animals, two very nice vanilla candles, a McDonald's giftcard, two roses (one real, one fake), and TONS of chocolate. One girl gave me a box of Ferrero Rocher chocolates. Mmm.....And my dad gave me half a one pound box of Godiva chocolates*. Double mmm......

*I spent the evening watching Bridget Jones's Diary, drinking wine, and attempting to eat half a pound of assorted chocolates. But I was defeated; I gave up after about 6 pieces. *sigh* Thanks to the wine I had a great night's sleep, though. And my trainer helped me work off most of the extra calories Wednesday evening

That was basically my v-day. It may sound dull to some of you wild and crazy folks, but I enjoyed myself. It's great to be at a place of peace and contentment in my singleness. But I'll save that topic for another day.




*Dad said Mom and I have to share the box of chocolates. Figures.

"Tomorrow's Valentine's Day - The worst day of the year!"

Isn't that a hilarious quote?! It was on a show I watched tonight. Another title for tomorrow: SAD - Single Awareness Day

I had hoped to post more witty and clever SAD posts to match last years,' but life has not afforded the time. So, I leave you with a repost from last year(with a few minor adjustments):

Keys to surviving SAD...

Are you a single woman who has found yourself alone on Valentine's Day? Need help? Look no further!

Here's what you need:
*an empty house/apartment/room with a vcr/dvd player
*an exercise video/DVD
*2-5 bags of chocolates, fruit chews, Twizzlers, or sweets of your choice
*favorite pet or stuffed animals
*two movies - one romantic comedy (such as Return to Me, Sleepless in Seattle, Love Actually, etc) and one girl-power movie (like Bridget Jones' Diary, Legally
Blonde, Supergirl, etc)
*a box of Kleenex
*a Bible

Here's what you do:
1. It's Valentine's Day, but for you it's become Single Awareness Day as you find yourself alone and dateless. First, embrace it!
2. Enter your house/apartment/room. Lock the doors, close the curtains, and silence the cell phone (it's better to let your parents' leave a message than to have to dodge their incessant questioning on yet another dateless v-day).
3. Insert the sappy movie into the vcr/dvd player.
4. While viewing the film, munch on the 1-2 bags of sweets.
5. Tears may begin to flow as feelings of loneliness and depression overwhelm you, so cuddle with your pet/stuffed animals for comfort (but don't squeeze Fluffy so hard that his eyes pop 0ut) and use generous amounts of Kleenex to remove all unnecessary traces of tears and snot.
6. After two hours of this, you'll need a lift - insert the girl-power movie into the vcr/dvd player.
7. As you watch the power-flick, soak up the positive energy from the strong, independent women. ((Or at least picture Supergirl punching the lights out of that gorgeous guy who will never ask you out.))
8. Eat another bag or two of sweets. You're da woman! Be confident and comfortable with who you are! Love the curves you have developed over the years! You don't need a man to boost your self-worth -- heck no!
9. As you come down from your sugar high, depression may begin to fall again, especially when the movie comes to an end and you see Bridget happily hook up with Mr. Darcy and Elle with Everett. Resist it! Stop the movie if you must!
10. Insert the exercise video to boost endorphins and in an effort to burn a hundredth of the thousands of calories you've ingested throughout the evening.
11. Halfway through the exercise video you may begin to feel light-headed or have trouble breathing; perhaps there's a pain in your side and a burning in your lungs, not to mention the world's worst stomachache.
12. Crawl into the nearest bed or couch, or just collapse on the floor if you could go no farther; cuddle with your pet/stuffed animals (again, don't squeeze too hard), and open your bible to Isaiah 58 -- it's time to start fasting!
You will soon realize we need God's help to become the inwardly strong and confident women we were created to be . . . or at least, hopefully, you'll have this revelation before you pass out due to over-exertion following the excessive sugar intake; in other words, before you slip into a sugar coma.

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised."
Proverbs 31:30

Coming to a Blog Near You

Sorry it's been so long since I've contributed. Things have been hectic, especially around the holidays. Recently I've been getting over a stomach bug.

But in between all the busy spots, I've seemed to develop more opinionated, er, opinions. So hopefully they'll materialize into blog entries soon. :) Also hopefully, Black Tuesday is just around the corner... Perhaps I'll post something holiday appropriate. (Or holiday rebellious? therapeutic? sticking-out-your-tongue-at-and-going-pppppffft!!?? We shall see.)

See you then!

Oh so excited . . .

. . . because I am about to sit down with the folks and watch the 24 Season 5 premiere. Yay!

So Sad

This was the first night I've driven home and don't recall seeing any Christmas lights on. The holidays really are over, and it passed just as quickly as 2005. So sad.

HAPPY 2006!!!!

May you have as much fun in this new year as Daniel had running with fire last night:





















May you enjoy the treasures and blessings contained in this new year as Abby enjoyed devouring her chocolate chip cookie:






























And may you find joy and take pride in your work during this new year as Nathan did while helping bake our cookies:























God bless you and keep you during 2006.

Christmas Q & A

This is from Becca:

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot Chocolate....but to be honest, I've never had Egg Nog before. Something about the name makes me a little wary...

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Wrapped -- what's the fun in getting presents if you don't get to tear the wrapping paper off???

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? Like Becca, I liked color lights as a child; now that I'm a grown-up *gag* I prefer white.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Nope. Our family never got into the whole mistletoe thing....maybe it's a cultural thing....

5. When do you put your decorations up? Gradually during the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Tamales....another cultural thing....who knew I was so culturally enriched...

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? Christmas Eve at my Grandma's house. We'd always stay up 'til midnight and then unwrap all our gifts.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I honestly can't remember if I even believed in Santa....I don't think I did....I just asked my brother and he can't remember believing in Santa either. Maybe that whole opening the presents at midnight thing is what did it.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? We used to when we were kids. Now we do it all on Christmas day - open gifts with the immediate family on Christmas morning (well, mid-morning, we all like to sleep in a bit) and open gifts with the extended family that afternoon.

10. What kind of cookies does Santa get set out for him? This year it was gingerbread bears, boots, bells, and snowmen (couldn't find the little person cookie cutter and had already made my last minute store run), but usually Santa doesn't get cookies. He got them this year because my nephew, Nathan, got here and kept asking if we could make "Christmas cookies for Santa." They're not Santa believers, either, so we have no idea where he got that from.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? This Texas girl would LOVE to experience a white Christmas....last year we had a bit of snow, but it only left me longing for more....

12. Can you ice skate? I tried it once. Meh. But then I can't even roller skate.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Don't have many memories from my childhood (I have the trauma from my brothers to thank for that), but I vaguely remember a doll house. It was a po' man's doll house because we didn't have much money, but I loved it nonetheless.

14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Celebrating Christ's birth with my family and friends, and everybody taking time to demonstrate their love for each other.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Cheesecake.....mmmm....I missed it this year....

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? All of it.....except the staying up 'til 3 helping wrap gifts and get things ready...

17. What tops your tree? An angel that's been MIA since we moved last year. So this year's tree is topless.

18. Which do you prefer Giving or Receiving? I love giving gifts, especially when it's that perfect gift they always wanted. But, even though it may sound selfish, I also love receiving gifts; that's one of the main ways I receive love.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Carol? O Come, O Come Emmanuel; O Holy Night; and this year I rediscovered The Little Drummer Boy.

20. Candy Canes? I'll eat them, but it's not the end of the world if the season passes without my consuming one.

Merry Christmas, Y'all!

I hope that you all had a wonderful day filled with family, friends, and love. May God bless you and keep you this holiday season and in the coming year.

Ho ho ho . . .

Here's a little something to get you in the Christmas spirit:

Your Elf Name Is...

Buddy Sugar Butt

What's Your Elf Name?

And this:

You Are a Minimal Christmas Tree

You're not a total Scrooge, but you feel no need to go overboard at Christmas. Less is more, and your Christmas reflects refined quality.

What Christmas Tree Are You?

via Jen

Shoes, shoes, everywhere there's shoes . . .

New shoes are probably the last thing I need. Heck, I just bought a pair the week before I went to England! But Famous Footwear gets me every time. *sigh*

But go see how cute they are!

Anywho, I got home and happily put my new shoes on. I showed them to my dad and he actually like them. As we sat there talking I started thinking about how quickly I chuck my convictions out the window. I want to save money. I want to give more time and money to the poor. I want to send more support to missionary friends across the world. I want to pay off credit cards. I want to pay off student loans. So what do I do? I go out and buy another pair of shoes! Oh vey!

A few minutes after I put them on I told the parents, "Maybe I should take them back."

They both gave me an astonished look and asked, "WHY?"

I shrugged and explained I didn't necessarily need new shoes.

My dad looked at me and said, "You know, there are millions of people in the world who can't even afford one pair of shoes."

I shamefully hung my head and replied, "Yeah. So you think I should take them back, too?"

Dad's pastorally reply: "No, I'm not saying that. I think you should enjoy the freedom you have to buy a pair of shoes whenever you want. Not everyone in the world can do that!"

The modern Alfalfa?

OK, anyone who knows me knows I'm the last one who should be commenting on fashion and/or hair. But I would like to step on my soapbox for a while.

Here I have posted a photo of Ricky Martin. Not to offend anyone who wears this hairstyle, but what exactly is the cool factor involved in a hairdo where you comb all your hair to make a point in the middle? Didn't I see a similar 'do on The Little Rascals when I was a kid??

When I first noticed this hairdo on a guy at work, I thought maybe he was in a hurry and just decided to comb his hair however or something. Then I saw someone else wearing it, then I noticed a picture of Ricky Martin wearing it. That would explain the new trend... Really, to me it looks like Alfalfa, only shorter and ever-so-slightly "hip."

Oh well, could be worse. :"> As long as flattops don't make a comeback, I'll stay a happy camper.

NARNIA ROCKS!!

Attention all movie fans. Boy, did Disney put out a great one for you.

Attention all Christians who like to see symbolism of their faith in movies. Boy, will you be blown away.

Attention anyone who liked Lord of the Rings but thought it was a wee bit too scary in some places. You have found your happy medium, and you can take your kids to go see it with you!

I cried. People around me cried. Some applauded when appropriate. It was all I could do to keep from shouting out, BRING IT ON!!! I never met C.S. Lewis, but I think he would be proud.

To me, the Christian symbolism in this movie was oh-so-obvious, but as a disclaimer, I saw the 1979 cartoon and read The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe when I was a kid but it wasn't explained to me until I was in high school or college that there was Christian symbolism at all.

But if you don't like Christian symbolism in movies, not to worry. This flick totally ROCKS anyway, honest!

Go to the next show, go to a matinee, wait until it's at the dollar theater, wait until it's on DVD -- whatever you do, GO SEE this movie!!! :D A classic for sure.

I WANT THE DVD!!! :D :D :D

Texas or England?

It's cold outside! It's 29 degrees to be exact; it's negative 1 in metric units. And it's suppose to drop a few more degrees before morning.

I'm pretty sure I'm back in Texas, even though less than two weeks ago I was in England and we had the same exact temperatures! But here's a crazy fact: I just checked the weather back in Bedford, and it's colder here in Houston than it is in Bedford AND London! Crazy!!!

Last Saturday it was in the 80's. I got in my car and had to turn on the AC. I also had to turn off the radio because listening to Christmas music in 80 degree weather felt wrong.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. Although it's cold, I love this weather! Too bad we won't get snow . . .

I think it's prophetic . . .

You Belong in London

A little old fashioned, and a little modern. A little traditional, and a little bit punk rock. A unique woman like you needs a city that offers everything. No wonder you and London will get along so well.

What City Do You Belong In?

. . . or at least, I'm praying it in . . .

Random thoughts on random Thanksgiving

This year has been a bit awkward for me so far during the holidays because I'm in the middle of an awkward transition at work. So I was scheduled to work this Thanksgiving. So my mom decided to take a break from cooking turkey. So I suggested we go out to eat at Golden Corral instead.

I like Golden Corral, but apparently nearly everyone else in Odessa does, too. The lines were surprisingly long for a holiday. But it was fun eating steak for Thanksgiving. :D It was nice getting to chitchat a little bit with my parents, since usually the TV's on during mealtimes.

What was depressing was having to go to work right afterwards. Especially during my dinner break at night, when a chilled hush descended over downtown Odessa. Reflecting in solitude underneath the early Christmas lights, I couldn't help but sigh.

So I'm glad that Thanksgiving is about giving thanks instead of just a meal and a holiday chiche. Whether you're at the Golden Corral or whether you're working a night shift.

By the way -- Mom did end up cooking a bit of turkey the next day. Short break, huh? :)

Home Again

Riding in the train from London to Bedford I looked out the window at the passing landscape and couldn't help but think, "I'm home again."

It really does feel that way. Especially after seeing all my friends. I love that I can walk around town and run into people I know.

*sigh*

Tomorrow I'm heading to London. We're going later in the day so I can see all the Christmas lights that are popping up around town. I'm excited; I've never hung out in London at night.

On Thursday I'm going to Sheffield. I have friends from my old church in Waco who moved up there to start a church back in June. I'm very excited about seeing them all.

Well, I'm off. I'll try to check in again soon.

Confused-grown-up question

Why do they not post instructions at the drive-thru at the bank? I try my best to look like I know what I'm doing whenever I lean out of my car & reach for the plastic tube thingy & unlatch the Star Trek opening doo-hicky, & usually the voice in the speaker is kind enough to instruct me. (And I gotta admit putting my driver's license inside the thingy & shooting it off into space is a bit disconcerting.) But was there some sort of class on drive-thru etiquette that they offered back in the 1970s or something that I missed?? They sure didn't offer any refresher courses when I was in school. I was too fascinated with my record player back in the 70s. (And, not to mention, not alive for most of it.)

I'll be glad when my bank decides to join the 21st century and install an ATM machine.

Ya learn something new every day. :)

Thankfulness

Today I was teaching my kids(all 22 3-year-olds) about Thanksgiving. We read a little book and then I explained what 'thankful' means. I told them a few things I'm thankful for and then I went around the room and asked them what they were thankful for. Of course I got copycat answers of "mi mommy" or "mi papi," as well as some silent blank stares, but there were a few original answers. Without hesitating, Jala said she was thankful for lunch. My favorite was when Yenny said she was thankful for her shoes. Later she also added "mis faldas" ("my skirts"). *sigh* That makes me so proud to be their teacher.


Btw, I'm thankful for my shoes too. And my skirts. Especially the new ones I purchased last weekend.

Bursting with excitement...

...because in less than three days I will be on an airplane headed for England!!!

About five weeks ago, on a whim, I decided to book a flight. I had learned that we had the whole week off from work, so I figured it would be a good time for a visit. I found a flight within budget, and now I will soon be off. Unfortunately it's not for a permanent stay; I can't wait for that day to come. I'm sad about missing Turkey Day with the family, but I am looking forward to visiting my dear friends. Drop me an email if you want me to send ya a postcard.

Cheers, my dears!

Leave me and my (mother's) kitchen alone!

Holidays are sprouting here, ee-i-ee-i-oh.
Holidays are sprouting there, ee-i-ee-i-oh.
With a potluck here, and a potluck there,
Here a pot, there a pot, EVERYWHERE A POTLUCK!!!

I totally LOVE the holidays, and I totally LOVE all the free food they bring. :) But really... GIMME A BREAK! I DON'T EVEN COOK!! THE EXTENT OF MY CULINARY EXPERTISE IS BOLOGNA SANDWICHES!!!

I live with my mother and she rarely lets me near her stove. Yet at work, at church... everyone keeps asking me to bring food for potlucks!! (No, I won't ask my mother to cook for me. That would be like hitting below the apron belt, no?)

Honestly, I am looking forward to the meals and time with friends. But if all I ever do is keep signing up to bring a bag of chips, that might get old...

Can't we all just order pizza??

I mean, unless everybody really WANTS me to bring bologna sandwiches... that would be a different story altogether...

Pre-holiday yippee

I GOT THE CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY DVD!!! :D :D :D It totally ROCKS, by the way. :D

As I've been meandering through the shopping aisles lately, I've noticed something that I shared with a friend earlier this week: We have totally skipped over Thanksgiving. There was Halloween, then naturally we're all VERY excited about Christmas coming up (I, for one, am a Christmas NUT -- it's my FAVORITE time of year)... But what the heck happened to Thanksgiving??? Where are all the Thanksgiving displays? music? commercials on TV? Granted, perhaps grocery stores across America are pushing for high turkey sales. But still... when I leave the store, I'm impressed with all the Christmas decorations, not Thanksgiving cornucopias.

I was hit with a major shock when I looked at the calendar this morning, though. Thanksgiving is NEXT WEEK. Egad!! No wonder Christmas is getting celebrated earlier -- it's almost HERE!!!

YIPPEE!!!!!

Hopefully I won't get distracted by all the cool holiday stuff and forget about what the holidays are really all about. In the meantime, I am thankful. :D

29 1/2

Sorry I missed the date -- this message really should have been posted on November 7, my 29 1/2-th birthday. :">

Well, 29 1/2 isn't quite how I pictured it as a child... but it's still pretty cool. Folks had told me that my 20s would be hard because God basically puts you through the wringer, really hard. I can vouch for that. And they also said around the time you hit age 30, things get MUCH better. I look forward to that. And I think I know why this is a weird age. When you're a kid, you develop all these plans and dreams and ideals. Then around age 20 through 29, you try to live them out, but you're smacked with the reality of your character-in-need-of-repair, PLUS just adult responsibilities hitting you in the face for the first time. That can really bite.

Not that it's totally horrible at this age. Not at all. Recently I've begun to embrace the, how shall I say this, total kookiness that comes with being 29 1/2 and trying to enjoy life. I have become a fan of SpongeBob Squarepants (and I am not ashamed. Just ask my family who witnesses me keeping the TV on Nickelodeon a little too long sometimes.). I turn on my revolving disco ball and dance with my cat sometimes (I lead). After discovering ABBA, the Swedish pop band that was really popular in the 1970s, I now play an ABBA tape in my car for about 75-80% of my driving time. AND I STILL WANT THE NEW CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY DVD!!! :D

I shudder to think what my life will look like in my 30s. But hey, what's the worst that can happen??

You're right. I could become a Teletubbies fan. So... not to worry. Arrgh, SpongeBob rules, matey.

Highs and Lows...

...this week was full of them.

Work was hard. I was sick all day Thursday, but still had to work (a low). We went on a fieldtrip to the Children's Museum on Friday. Although it was fun, the kids acted like they had never been out in public (another low). Plus, I also had to work from 8-5 on Saturday (a big low).

The Astros lost the World Series (a major low).

While on my way to the Texans game, I was involved in a six car accident on I-10 this morning (another major low). I'm ok, but my car's not. It's drivable but will need some major work (big low).

*sigh*

But thankfully, life is comprised of great lows AND highs.

My principal got in trouble with HISD for not paying us for those four hurricane days last month (did I even tell y'all about that?). I'm not one to let people bother me and I especially don't like to judge, but that woman is the epitome of evil. Seriously. And I think HISD is finally starting to realize that she may be a liability. So we should be getting our money soon.

The Texans FINALLY won their first game of the season. (And I'm only slightly bitter that I missed the game because of an idiotic driver.)

On Friday night I was in the same building as Craig Biggio and joined in with everyone cheering and screaming and chanting his name. It was awesome!!!

A short time after we cheered for Biggio, The Edge was playing his guitar just eight feet away from me. Not only that, he made eye contact and smiled and winked at me!!!!!!! That's right folks, I was on the floor, leaning against the railing that surrounded the stage at the U2 concert!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*happy sigh*

Just give me some time, and I'll have some spin-off posts up. Boy do I have stories to tell!

Mini-review

I saw Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at the dollar theater this past weekend, but I think I saw it with the wrong crowd. Many of the scenes were hilarious, but the people around me weren't laughing. "What's the matter?? This is FUNNY!!!" I wanted to shout.

Maybe it depends on what your taste in movies is. This Charlie movie, a Tim Burton/Danny Elfman/Johnny Depp collaboration, is a remake of the 1971 version of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (both films based on Roald Dahl's book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory). I wouldn't do either movie justice by comparing them to each other, but I must say the world would be missing out on a LOT if either movie didn't exist. :D

The new Charlie film I think is based a lot more closely on the book than its older counterpart. So it's a bit more off the wall, and naturally if Tim Burton has anything to do with it, it's a bit darker, super artsy-fartsy, and VERY imaginative. (Sort of like Mars Attacks! meets Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events.) I like the contemporary touches they added to the movie, like Violet Beauregard being a karate expert/overly competitive type. Veruca Salt was almost sweeter than her 1971 counterpart. Augustus Gloop was much more of a slob in this one. In all, they were a bit exaggerated. Satire -- I dig it. :D

A while back, I read a review saying that Johnny Depp's portrayal of Willy Wonka REALLY reminded you of Michael Jackson and was quite creepy. I totally agree!! Depp's Wonka is quite sissy-like, to be frank, but his chalky skin and antisocial life totally make sense if you think about it -- the dude just stays in his factory making candy all day and doesn't really know how to act around people. And this guy (unlike Gene Wilder's portrayal in 1971) is desperately in need of psychological counseling.

OK, great movie quote, from the scene where Mr. Wonka escorts the children into The Chocolate Room of his factory, where everything is edible (basically made out of candy): "Everything in this room is eatable. Even me. And that's called cannibalism, which is frowned upon in most cultures." HILARIOUS!!! (One of the parts where the theater TOTALLY missed out on a good laugh!!!)

You know how you're watching movies or cartoons and suddenly a chorus bursts into song?? There's this smart-alecky question in the back of your mind, going How do they know exactly what to sing and where the heck is that music coming from??? This movie picks up on that!! Augustus Gloop meets his downfall, the Oompa-Loompas start singing their song, and one of the children asks Mr. Wonka, "Hey, that looks very rehearsed! How did they know what would happen to Augustus??" And Mr. Wonka gets this trying-to-stay-discreet look on this face. Totally cheeky!!!

A note to fans of The NeverEnding Story: If I'm not mistaken, that actor who plays the dude who rides the racing snail plays the Oompa-Loompa in this new Charlie movie. (I'm pretty sure it's just the same actor, multiplied a zillion times via movie animation.) Cool!

In all, this movie ROCKS!!! The whole time, I kept thinking to myself, I WANT THE DVD!!! Well beyond worth the 50-cent matinee price I paid for it. :D I would definitely recommend it to anyone. But if you usually don't like Burton/Elfman/Depp movies, you may not go for it -- they remain true to their wackily brilliant form.

I WANT THE DVD!!! :D

You know you've worked too long at your night job when...

The idea of going to bed at 1:30 AM seems awfully early.

People ask you to speak up because you're in the habit of trying not to wake anybody up with any noise.

The highlight of your evening is watching Judge Judy episodes that you set your VCR to tape earlier. With the Closed Captions on.

World Series, Parts I & II

It's strange to not be watching a baseball game tonight.

Naturally, I'm bummed that the Astros won neither game this past weekend. IMHO, they played rather well, considering the environment and weather conditions. It was sad to see Clemens walk off the mound Saturday night after such a short time. It was especially sad that his relief pitcher wasn't up to par. Pettitte did an amazing job starting last night. The grandslam that Lidge let happen was devastating, though. So frustrating that it was practically handed to them (that ball totally hit the bat NOT the batter!!!). Although the 'Stros played well, there were some major mistakes, so hopefully they'll be able to pull it together and win the games here in town.

Saturday night I watched the game with my brother and friend Jason at a local sport's bar. I out drank both of them. Don't know if I should brag about that. I must have a wooden leg, 'cause I didn't even really get a buzz. I could have ordered another drink, but I didn't want to look like a lush.

Last night I ate a couple of hotdogs from James Coney Island and watched the game from the comfort of my own home. That's probably what I'll do for the rest of the series. I'm just praying that we win a game or two or four. GO ASTROS!!!

HURRAH!!!

YAY! -- The Astros just won the National League Championship!!!! How exciting!!!!!

Our whole family has been waiting for this for the past 44 years. Seriously. We all grew up watching the 'Stros with my grandpa, and I'm so happy that he finally gets to watch them play in the World Series.

Watching the live news coverage is awesome! Especially seeing the interviews with the handful of Astros fans up in St. Louis. There's one group of women up there who are all dressed in Astros jerseys with fake beehives and '60s style sun glasses. They're calling themselves "The Killer Bees" and have a poster that says, "We're Teaching the Birds About the Bees!" We all thought it was very clever.

As much as I would love to stay up and continue watching news coverage, my bed beacons . . . 5 a.m. comes way too early . . .

Safely Home

We got back to Houston yesterday afternoon, but I've been stranded without a computer all day yesterday and today.

The trip was fun. I'm tired and it's WAY past my bedtime, so I won't be writing that follow-up email tonight. But I wanted to post the 'quote of the weekend,' said by a 90 year-old World War II veteran called "Bud." We asked him how he was doing and he promptly replied, "Still kicking, though not as high as I used to!" He embellished by giving a small kick through the legs of his walker. So cute!!!

Heartache is . . .

. . . the Astros being one out away from going to the World Series for the first time EVER, only to have the Cardinals get a homerun with two men on base.

*sigh*

At least there are two more games . . .

Road Trip!

I am currently enjoying my school's Fall Break Holiday. It was WONDERFUL being able to sleep in today! I slept 'til 10:30 -- that's five extra hours of sleep!!! *sigh* I sure do miss those lazy days . . .

But tomorrow will be another early morning. We picked up a rental tonight so that Mom and I can head over to my grandparents' house in the wee small hours of the morning. From there we're heading to The Woodlands to pick up my uncle and we'll all embark on an EIGHT HOUR drive to Snyder, TX for my grandpa's World War II company's final reunion. I've never been, so I'm looking forward to meeting everyone and hearing all the war stories. They used to have these reunions every year but the viejitosare dying off. Very sad. They had their final reunion two years ago, but those who are still around decided to get together for one final hurrah.

It was just a few weeks ago I went on an eight hour road trip to escape a coming hurricane. But this time around our van is equipped with a DVD player. Nice. And I'll be the youngest passenger, so we don't have to worry about changing poopy diapers two hours into the trip.

I'll let y'all know how it all turns out!

Surviving

I truly dig the reality TV show Survivor, and am glad to have a working VCR so I can catch Survivor Guatemala when it comes on Thursday nights. (If you're not familiar with the show, read up on http://www.cbs.com/primetime/survivor11/.)

I have to admit, though, that when I watch the show I sort of do this mental double-take and just laugh... You see, there's an eery life parallel. I'm increasingly convinced that the game of Survivor is actually a lot like my job, or for that matter, the American workplace. Allow me to elaborate.

1) You're a bunch of random people stuck in this foreign place, forced to halfway learn the culture and maneuver through the hostile environment without killing each other.

2) There's usually at least one person around who's bossy (whether or not they're the designated boss) and succeeds in stirring up people's anger with each new power-hungry command.

3) Speaking of stirring up, there's usually at least one troublemaker who just idles about, putting bugs in people's ears that usually add up to somebody's demise... if not the troublemaker's themselves.

4) Those who lay low and remain under the radar usually end up going the furthest, I think. Especially if they play dumb at just the right moments.

5) He who speaks his mind haphazardly usually ends up on the chopping block unless everyone else agrees with him.

6) Those who are deprived of sufficient nutrients (i.e., lunch) end up cranky and showing their true colors. Often to their demise.

7) Those who are rewarded are often looked on with some jealousy and, if it goes to their heads, their actions often lead to their termination.

8) Everyone is periodically thrown together for a stressful, time-sensitive challenge that's momentarily exciting but then seems sort of childish and a bit dumb later on. Those who fail during the challenge are often terminated.

Sigh. If only a million-dollar prize were waiting for you the end of the American workday. Or at least a chance to watch yourself on TV.

Aggie Hurricane Preparation

Aqui Estoy

Made it to Waco in 8.5 hours....will update more tomorrow....keep praying....

Hurricane Prep

Hurricane Rita Shopping List:
(just the basics, cause the pay check hasn't been deposited yet.)
-water
-batteries
-flashlight (can't find any since we moved)
-canned food
-motor oil (stuck w/ Dad's car this week, and it has a slight leak)

But what I really bought when I made it to HEB two hours ago:
-Diet Coke
-wine (they were out of water, so I thought, 'What the heck!')
-ice cream (I had a craving)
-cereal (There's a whole half-gallon of milk in the fridge, and it's up to me to drink it all. Besides, it's a good hurricane food)
-candy corn (I actually need it for work tomorrow)

And that about tops off the items bought during my hurricane emergency shopping trip. Sad, I know.

I nixed the canned food 'cause I remembered that we had a few cans of tuna in the pantry . . . I think . . .

I nixed the batteries and flashlight because there were TONS of people in the store and I didn't feel like hunting through the store. I have plenty of lighters, matches, and candles . . . somewhere . . .

I nixed the water because there was no water and I didn't feel like waiting in line to get water off the 8:30 HEB supply truck (a truck which nearly ran me over as I was leaving the store! Seriously! It freaked me out!) Besides, I have tons of bottles around I can fill w/ our fridge's filtered water.

Talked to Mom this evening and she told me to fill the bathtub w/ water. I think she's crazy, but I may have to do it just to appease her. She says if we lose water power then we have to use the water in the tub to flush the toilet. Whatever.

It's obvious that people in the area are starting to worry/panic about this hurricane. I feel kind of whatever about it. It was strange going to the store and seeing shelves completely empty. They were so empty, I had no clue what items they contained just hours earlier.

I'm still planning to head to Waco. That is if I don't have to work. But I have a feeling HISD will cancel classes Thursday and Friday; many area school districts are closing tomorrow through Friday. So, if HISD closes, I'm hoping our school will close (since it's an HISD charter school they don't HAVE to close, and the fact that they get their money based on how many days they're open doesn't help).

So that's the 4-1-1. I'll keep ya posted.

Update, 10:30p.m.: My Uncle Mark (Blo, to you Thinklingers) just called and invited me to stay w/ them. I may just do that. I want to go to Waco 'cause I won't be able to go until October and I'd like to see my nephews, niece, and old friends. But, it would be nice just to chill at Mark's house. I wouldn't have to worry about fighting traffic, spending a hundred dollars on gas (seriously), and packing to leave town. We'll see. Ok, now it's past my bed time. Good night!

Jaw-dropping

(I thought of titling this post "I Stand Amazed," but I thought Nah, no need to plagiarize one of my favorite Dennis Jernigan songs... :D)

This evening, I was actually visited by a church. Finally. After months of filling out visitor's cards and getting nothing more than direct mailouts, I got real contact from live people.

OK, so it was from ladies who were old enough to be my parents, and they tried to witness to me, but hey, it was a start. :D They were from a large Baptist church here in town that I visited Sunday night, and I wasn't really comfortable in their worship service because the atmosphere seemed sort of stiff. But hopefully I was wrong. I decided that I would give them a chance if they actually called me.

So I'm giving them a chance. I emphasized that I would like to look into their singles ministry.

Well, that was my excitement for the evening. :D I was really beginning to wonder about a serious apathy problem in the church at large... Just as long as I can sit in a pew on Sundays without being ignored, I'll be happy.

Wow. What a weird goal...

Pending Hurricane

According to the Houston Chronicle:

. . . Rita . . . is a tropical storm now but is expected to strengthen into a hurricane this afternoon. By the time it hits the Gulf Coast on Saturday morning, it is likely to be a Category 3 hurricane.
"It could hit anywhere in the window of Brownsville and New Orleans,” said Lance Wood, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. "The Houston area is in the center of that window."

Well that's just great! The week I'm home alone a hurricane is projected to hit our area. It's a good thing I get paid tomorrow. I can go out and buy some bottled water and flashlights and batteries and whatever else you need when a hurricane hits. Or, I could just skip out on work Friday and head north to Waco. I like that plan better. I'm suppose to work Saturday, but I'm thinking if a hurricane is coming we might not have to go in. But you never know with my school!

I'll keep ya'll posted.

Wal-Mart boycott update

At first, I was just ticked off at their lousy customer service. But I think I've actually managed to successfully go a little over 3 months straight boycotting Wal-Mart. (See the blog entry dated June 7).

Again, not that it's a horrible store. I understand they're very involved in local communities. It's just that * I * personally can't stand shopping there. And I'm here to testify that yes, there IS life without Wal-Mart. :D

I've been frequenting Target quite often. They have some nifty deals. And in my neck of the woods, what's really convenient is that it's located in a shopping center next to HEB, so sometimes their deals are competitive to HEB.

So between Target and HEB, and also Dollar General, and not to mention eBay (for online bargains), I am one happy consumer who can lead a perfectly normal life without having to ever set foot inside Wal-Mart. (That is, except for the occasional social call.)

I still use my Sam's card, though. And I may visit Walmart.com to purchase some music downloads someday. We'll see.

Quote of the day

From an email I just received from one of my friends in England; an email that contained more than one expletive, btw.

Ps I love God how bout you?? Reading the message has made me feel better about Jesus. He was a bad ass.

Bias in the media

In the past, I've heard lots of complaints (mainly from Christians) about the media being biased. Meaning the ideas they communicate tend to be a bit skewed, reporting information that makes some people or situations look bad. Or just overall improperly balanced.

If you had to categorize me (and I hate being categorized :>), you'd probably end up putting me in the conservative-religious-right category. But I try to keep a healthy open mind whenever it seems appropriate. So usually it didn't seem fair to me to issue a blanket judgment saying that the media were biased. Even whenever a public figure in the conservative-religious-right category was presented in an unflattering light. Journalism is supposed to be objective, right? Perhaps it was just a misunderstanding.

But now that I work at a newspaper, I've just about completely changed my mind about the whole thing.

I'm here to testify first-hand that the media ARE biased -- thoroughly and totally biased!!! Not necessarily because of any agendas, but because of another enemy that gets less attention than it should: the DEADLINE.

I am thoroughly and totally convinced that deadlines can successfully suck any type of objectivity out of journalism. It takes a lot of time and careful, thoughtful planning to convey information objectively! (Just ask anyone who's ever worked as a manager anywhere.) But if you've got deadlines breathing down your neck, the clock is ticking and you've got no choice but to go with your gut reaction most of the time. If you're personally biased about something, I really think it will come out in your work sooner or later.

We're shorthanded at work right now. Part of my job is to write headlines. I've been so busy that I can barely even REMEMBER at the moment what was included in those headlines... And tomorrow those hastily written headlines are going to tell the entire town what is going on in the world. To me, that is a somewhat scary thought. Especially now, when there's SO much going on in the world.

And yet...

Somehow I'm comforted in the fact that it's just a newspaper. I don't intend any disrespect for the publication, but really... After the paper gets read tomorrow, our dog is gonna go on it.

Just a fact of life. :D

A Deeper Impact

Even though I've watched the news coverage over the past 12 days, I'm still blown away by pictures like this.


Or this



A few days ago, HISD began enrolling evacuees into their schools. I thought I would like to have one in my class, but figured it wouldn't happen since I have a full class and we're a slightly obscure charter school. So needless to say, I was surprised when Ms. Williams, our school's middle school's assistant principal, arrived at our campus yesterday and brought her three-year-old nephew to me. He and 15 other family members are New Orleans evacuees staying with Ms. Williams and her husband. My heart immediately melted when I met little Justin. He is the sweetest thing! And I can only imagine what he has witnessed over the past two weeks.

I don't know the whole story, but I do know that when the hurricane hit they had evacuated to the Convention Center. Soon they were told to move to the Superdome, but after they arrived there they were sent back to the Convention Center. I remember hearing the stories on Fox News about the people arriving and waiting in line to get into the Superdome Monday night and Tuesday morning. But then the Superdome was evacuated shortly after they arrived. I also remember seeing the first report about the people at the Convention Center on CNN. I was horrified - people waiting days for help to arrive, suffering through the heat outside because it was too dangerous to stay inside. I vividly remember seeing video footage of families huddled together, suffering together, protecting each other. And now I have little Justin in my class. Little Justin, whose 9-month pregnant mother* carried him through waist deep water from the devastation of the Superdome

to the devastation of the Convention Center.


I can imagine Justin sitting with his mother, waiting for help to come...much like this woman and her child...



Justin and his whole family made it to Houston safe and sound last Thursday. They were somehow transported to Houston in a van, with only the clothes on their back and an extra change of clothes, and are being taken care of by Ms. Williams and her husband. But there are NINETEEN of them. The Williams can only do so much.

There are THOUSANDS of stories like this one, I know. And even though I heard the stories and saw the pictures, meeting little Justin has impacted me deeper than anything else.

I've been praying and asking God to help me be the hands and feet of Jesus to those who are suffering. I never expected Him to answer my prayer in this way, but I am honored to have this opportunity.

Let me know if you're also interested in supporting, praying for, and loving this family.





*Justin's mother went into labor and delivered a healthy baby boy, Joseph Williams Jr., Friday morning, the day after they all arrived in Houston.

All the above photos from foxnews.com photo essays

More thoughts on Katrina

Wow, it's neat how the body of Christ works. :) Here's a link to a Last Days Ministries site where Melody Green (widow of Keith Green) listed prayer points for the hurricane just before landfall. Also, if you'd like to donate for hurricane relief via LDM, follow the link to their home page.

This isn't the first prophetic-type stuff I've heard about Katrina (God showing people His perspective on events before they happened). He definitely knew this was coming (nothing new under the sun), I'm sure His heart is broken over the hurting people, & I'm sure He's got great plans for restoration & showing His glory.

Crazy Life

I know I've been quiet the past few weeks/month. It hasn't been intentional, believe me. Life has been CRAZY!

Never ever would I have thought I would be waking up at 5am. 5AM, PEOPLE!!!! Sleeping in for me (during the week) is waking up at 5:30; over-sleeping is waking up at 5:45. ?!?! Mind-boggling, I know. But such is my life.

This year of teaching has been the hardest thing I've ever done. I know that's a cliche, but it's true! I feel the pressure even more because my certification depends on how this year goes. Talk about stress. (sarcasm)It gets better(/sarcasm):

My school (which I'll call EEA) is an HISD charter school and the way it's run is ridiculous. For starters, I didn't have all the furniture I needed when school started - no bookshelves for my room, no teacher's desk, not even a chair for each child in class. They hadn't delivered our tables for the lunch room, so we had to eat in the classroom the first two weeks. Since the floors weren't properly cleaned, we got ants. So you can imagine what it was like for me, trying to get 22 3-year-olds to eat their lunch, even though half of them didn't have chairs. Then they would much rather look at all the ants than eat.

That leads to another rant - I have no teacher's aide! Like I said, there are 22 3-year-olds and ME. PLUS, the children arrive at our main campus in southwest Houston and then we're all bussed downtown to our school (something I didn't find out until after I signed the contract). Since there are no aides, we have to go to the first campus and ride the buses w/ the kids, leaving our cars behind. Since we ride to school w/ the kids we have no time to prep our room before or after school. That makes for some very creative mornings. The no aide thing also means we don't get breaks or a planning period. Thankfully the kids still nap, so that's our time to prep, eat and use the bathroom. At this point, once the kids fall alseep (usually around 1) we let them sleep until the buses arrive so we can leave (around 2:45). And that's what we'll keep doing until they say we can't.

There are 7 teachers and classes of 3-year-olds at our location. We have two administrators at the school as well. So nine staff total. The good thing is I get along well with my coworkers. The two I'm closest to are very strong Christians as well, so that's encouraging to have. What's also good is we're away from the main campus and all the crap that happens there. Our campus supervisor is laid back and tries to help us when she can. Of course we need TONS more help, but that's something we can probably only dream about. I'm not expecting things to change anytime soon.

I'll end my rant by explaining that all but three of my kids are Spanish speakers. So I try my best to communicate in my Spanglish, but there's still a lot that doesn't get translated. Not being able to communicate w/ some of the parents is the most frustrating.

But I'm getting used to my situation. I know I can't change it, so I'm going to try to make the best of it. That whole be faithful in the little thing. It's hard. *sigh*

My kids are still getting used to me and I'm getting used to them, but things are tons better. We're still working on staying in line, though. Especially when we arrive at the school in the afternoon. It's hard because a lot of parents are there already, waiting 'til 4 so they can get their children. So they stand around the corner and watch us get off and walk in. It's so frustrating because the kids want to turn and look at them rather than pay attention to where we're going so they can stay w/ the class. So half my kids are trying to walk into the building and the other half are outside waving at parents. Oh so frustrating. I don't blame the kids (they're only 3!); it's the parents that frustrate me sometimes.

Ok, no more griping. Sorry.

As you can so obviously read, life is CRAZY now. I need all the prayer I can get!

Sesame Street saved

Good news so far! The school district in Odessa voted recently (sorry my news is late) to hand over its PBS station to community members who banded together to form a non-profit organization. You can read about it in the August 31st edition of my local paper.

Also, one of our editors wrote an interesting editorial story in our August 21st edition, talking about how there ain't enough dough to go around for all the arts organizations smack-dab in the middle of the oil patch.

Disjointed thoughts

The devastation left by hurricane Katrina is unbelievable. I just read that the disaster area is as big as all of Great Britain. Unbelievable.

I listen to KSBJ every morning on my way to work, and it's been so encouraging to hear about what is being done and how churches have opened their doors and their hearts. It pulls at my heart and makes me want to do something . . . anything. So it's been frustrating this week, knowing I won't get a paycheck until next week and having to work 12 hours every single day. But such is my life from now until at least next June.

But I am so proud that I live and work in Houston. This really is an amazing city that has drawn together to support and sustain tens of thousands of evacuees. Amazing.

Over the past few days I've seen tons of news footage that stirs a flurry of emotions - grief for those suffering and lost, anger at those politicizing this tragedy, relief for those saved and reunited with loved ones, and thankfulness for those banning together to help each other.

One such story was featured on On the Record with Greta Van Susteren. Jabbar, a young man from New Orleans who looked about 18 years-old, went into a school yard and took a school bus after the hurricane hit. He then went around and picked people up from the side of the road. Although he had never driven a bus in his life, he drove about 80 people from New Orleans to Houston in 8 hours. They made three stops for gas, and made their way to the Astrodome because they heard on the radio that's where people were being evacuated to. Hearing Jabbar tell his story was encouraging and even comical at times.

Here's another heart-warming story: An older couple living in Mississippi was interviewed on a news program last night. They're in their late 60's and retired. Their house was destroyed during the hurricane. As they stood outside what was left of their home, the husband explained that they had lost everything and that he had never imagined that they would have to start all over at their age. The wife looked up at him and said, no we didn't lose everything; we still have each other. He put his arm around her and said, yes, we still have each other.

How sweet is that???

It's easy to get overwhelmed by all that's happening. So my suggestion is to pray. Pray for the tens of thousands that are now homeless. Pray for those who are still suffering because of lack of food and water. Pray for those who have lost loved ones and for the families that have been separated. Pray for those waiting to be evacuated. Pray for those organizing evacuations, as well as rescue and relief efforts. Pray about what you can specifically do to help.

Like I mentioned, the hunt for someone to blame is really starting to anger me; it's time for people to stop pointing fingers and DO SOMETHING. Our country is divided enough as it is, and instead of drawing us closer together, this tragedy is causing a deeper rift. I was reading a blog earlier (which I won't even grace with a link) that essentially said since the states devastated are red states, they should be left alone to suffer. How stupid and heartless can people be?! Another guy said he saw a woman on the side of the road, standing outside her car, clutching her baby. He assumed she had run out of gas and slowed down to stop to help when he saw the W on the back of her car. So instead of stopping he sped up and drove away! He had the audacity to say that since she was stupid enough to vote for Bush she should wait on the side of the road for him to come and help her. What the- ?!?! I don't get how one's political standing should keep them from receiving help when they need it. Or how one can refuse help because of another's political views. What's wrong with people???

These are just a portion of my disjointed thoughts. There are plenty more where these came from, but my bed beacons. Until tomorrow . . .

Which book of the Bible are you?




via Becca

Random thoughts on Odessa

When I lived in Waco, I ran into a LOT of people who were shocked to hear that I really liked Waco. Then I told them I was from Odessa. And then they understood.

Just as a disclaimer to this post... I read an article about people who took their blog too far, didn't remain confidential enough, and ended up messing up their lives because they were venting stuff on their journal online. (They'd get fired after calling their boss horrible names online.) Which in a way could get me in trouble, but hopefully I've kept everything as general as possible... :"> At any rate, I do tend to vent about life out here in Hicksville USA quite a bit, but I assure you it is for my emotional well-being. :"> And hopefully as a friendly warning to you and for your entertainment as well.

So I wanted to write a little bit to balance the ventings. Over the years, I have grown to severely dislike Odessa, yes. But it isn't a 100% horrible place. There are some very nice people and unique sites and programs. But if you were to ever visit this town, I feel it only fair to give a heads-up.

I'm noticing that just about every city/town has its hangups. For example, one of Waco's problems is religious hypocrisy. Some Baylor students sleep in on Sunday mornings and then dress up when they go to lunch, to make everyone think they've gone to church. (I don't think I've actually met anyone who's done this, but I have heard stories. And they seem to match other situations I encountered in that town as well. :">)

I'm convinced that Odessa isn't really a town. It's a club. And nobody will teach me the secret handshake. There seems to be an invisible, unspoken set of rules and standards that most Odessans don't have a problem adhering to. But if you don't adhere them, and if you don't cross your T's and dot your I's in just the exactly correct manner, THEIR way, you'll get jumped on. Publicly criticized. Then you'll get looked at funny and talked about behind your back.

Personally, I think this is an issue that's developed over time as a coping mechanism for living out in the middle of nowhere. Your world has become the city limits, and any new-fandangled thing needs to pass inspection if it's going to be accepted.

I remember absorbing this mentality when I was in high school, although I didn't know what I was doing at the time. It was fun to gossip about people. Speculating about people you'd heard of but didn't really know became like a sport for me.

But now that I'm the outsider, it ain't so fun.

There are some very nice people in this town -- folks who'd give you the shirts off their backs if you needed them. The absolute coolest, sweetest people you'll ever meet anywhere. Then on the opposite end of the spectrum... there are some excessively horrible people in this town -- folks who'd grow claws and spew slime at you, if they could. The absolute ickiest, most connivingly manipulative bunch of folks you'd never imagine meeting in your worst nightmares.

What boggles my mind is that it seems to be the nice people who allow the horrible people to remain horrible. I believe Joyce Meyer would call this codependence -- when you make your problems other people's responsibility.

I've been fortunate to meet some great people while I've been here, though. Like one of my high school teachers. She taught me that the opposite of love isn't hate -- to love or to hate are to feel or believe passionately about someone or something, whether positive or negative. The opposite of love is indifference -- when you just don't care at all. (Now I think maybe, in a sense, she was referring to what Jesus was talking about in Revelation 3, about wishing the church were either hot or cold -- not lukewarm.)

So perhaps in this sense, I have a love-hate relationship with Odessa...? Hmmm. Perhaps only time will tell. :)

Hello Blog

I miss you.
Hopefully some day soon I will be able to write a proper post.
I'm starting to feel less and less tired after work. But I am excited about going to bed in five minutes and (((here's something I NEVER thought I would say))) getting to sleep in 'til 5:30am tomorrow. Woo hoo!!!
Oh, what a sad, sad life I live these days . . .

No more Sesame Street?

When I read the Odessa paper this morning, it finally became clear to me that this town might actually close its PBS station, for real. If this were to happen, from what I understand, it would be the only town in the country to do so. (I'm told that if that were to happen, they would probably just pipe in the PBS station from Dallas like they did before.)

There is a nonprofit organization that may come to its rescue, so Barney may not die in Odessa after all. (OK, I'm NOT a Barney fan, honest. :"> It's the educational value of the otherwise quirky TV organization that would leave a serious blank if removed from the airwaves. I think it would in ANY town.)

Check out this article that explains a little bit about the situation. If you like, I can keep you posted.

I find it disturbing that Sesame Street could slip through our fingers, yet we seem to be doing all we can to secure a local Hooters...

Duct tape, cont'd

Now I think I've seen everything. I didn't realize duct tape could make a fashion statement: Duct Tape Fashions

Duct tape

I've been reading a little about the space shuttle Discovery, and am very glad the astronauts made it home safely. But some of those technical problems they were having... I'm no rocket scientist, but in my opinion, the space program in general either needs some serious repair or needs to just throw in the towel altogether.

In one interview, while they were trying to repair the shuttle before liftoff, one of the NASA officials said it was sort of like an old, beat-up car. Like it was needing repairs all the time, maybe as if they needed to trade it in for a new model. If I recall, the astronaut who ended up doing repair work in orbit actually took some duct tape along, just in case.

I know people (especially in the editorial cartoons -- now, those were funny :D) stereotypically joke around about duct tape being the universal fixit tool, but COME ON. Is this not a multi-million (if not -billion) dollar vehicle they're riding in? Aren't the astronauts' lives on the line? Remember the Challenger, the Columbia??

I don't get it. We spend millions of dollars on the space program, but lately SO many things have gone wrong. I am tired of hearing about astronauts dying -- it is a totally unnecessary tragedy. And I am very glad that the Discovery astronauts' lives were preserved this time.

Granted, it sounds like NASA has accomplished a ton in the past. Taking mankind's first steps on the moon will probably be one of its coolest achievements. And I enjoy learning about outer space (just ask my family -- I had an old solar system poster hanging in my room for the LONGEST time when I was a kid :">). But where do we draw the line? When is enough enough? When do we stop trying to go where no man has gone before?

In my opinion, I think the space program should either get all its ducks in a row and actually IMPROVE all the rinky-dinky technology that transports our astronauts' fragile lives every time they go into orbit --

Or, and this is personally what I would prefer -- just scrap the space program altogether and let the scientists use their brains (and not to mention taxpayers' dollars) to figure out more pressing problems. Like national security. Or the border patrol. Or "world peace," or any of the other zillion pressing issues. I think technology could be put to very good use in other areas.

Just, please... don't go back into space with duct tape again. How utterly embarrassing...

Smartalecky question

I've been told that at my parents' church, they usually don't ask women to pray in public, or at least during the services. During my visits there, I have found this to be true. So my question is... they wouldn't have a problem with women helping out in the kitchen or nursery, would they?

(It sort of reminds me of the time my dad invited Jehovah's Witnesses in our house, and then when he asked me to pray for everybody, they freaked out.)

I truly hope this is not a case of male chauvinism in the church.

This town just gets weirder and weirder. LOL!! Mercy, Lord!!!

Whirlwind Week

Here's a recap:

Thursday, 28 July: Went to the charter school that offered me a job two months ago to turn in final paper work. I was stalling in case something better (and closer to home) came along. Received copy of contract and went home to read it over. But I had to decide soon b/c work/in service started Monday (1 August).

Friday, 29 July: Dad called at 9:00 A.M. to tell me he called his friend down in McAllen who owns a car dealership and there was a car available for us if we wanted to go down and pick it up. A 2004 Hyundai Accent w/ 14,000 mi; only $1000 down and $300/mo. Even better, no interest! Problem was, we didn't really have $1000. (My caddy is still kicking, but has major air con probs. Driving around H-town in 96+ degree weather w/o air con is no fun!)

Saturday, 30 July: 2:00 P.M. - Drove to McAllen to pick up car! Still didn't quite have all the money, so we went trusting God to provide. I read Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince most of the way down (my friend had just lent it to me the night before).
7:15 P.M. - Meet Dad's friend and the car. Gave it a test drive and really liked it; of course the price tag made it even more appealing.
9:30 P.M. - Left McAllen to venture home
11:45 P.M. - Accidentally drove through border patrol stop. Oops. The cop was really nice, though. He didn't even put his siren on when he came after me! Thankfully we stopped just past the "check-point charlie," as my dad likes to call it, to switch cars and drivers, so the cop didn't have far to go.

Sunday, 31 July: 4:20 A.M. - Finally arrived home and promptly fell asleep. Read more Harry Potter after I woke up. Also spent time cleaning room and closet. While organizing closet, I realized the floor against the wall was slightly damp. Then I moved my plastic incased duvet and found some nice mold forming on the back corner of the wall. The floor board was even warped. Apparently, a pipe burst (my closet shares a wall with my bathroom). Don't know how that happened; the house is only 4 yrs old. Good thing we don't own it. But it's still not fixed.

Monday, 1 August: Went to school for beginning of in-service and signed contract. Was told the preschool teachers wouldn't have to return until Wednesday. Stayed up till 3:30 A.M. to finish Harry Potter. It's not like I had to wake up early for work!

Tuesday, 2 August: Was called at 9:00 A.M and asked why I hadn't shown up for work at 8. Uhh . . . cause they told me I didn't have to! So I threw some clothes on and ran out the door. The reason I had to rush to leave was b/c the school is AN HOUR away. So I was basically 2 hours late for work. Nice. Fortunately, everyone is super laid back and we were just working on setting up our rooms. Unfortunately, since I was so late it was slim pickings for rooms and decor. But I did the best I could. After lunch I was informed that the next day was Open House, so we needed to be prepared to show our rooms to parents. Great. Stayed 'til 6 but still got caught up in traffic going home. Got home at 8:30 P.M. Oi!

Wednesday, 3 August: Rushed to finish room in the morning. The parents went to our mother school at 10 A.M. and were then bused to our school around 12. At 12:45 our supervisor told us there was another in-service in the evening for those parents who couldn't make it that morning. So we were given an extended lunch and then asked to come back at 5. As you can tell, this school likes to keep us on our toes. But I survived the day and got home at 8:45.

So that brings us to today. I got to go shopping w/ some of my co-workers. We had fun and found some great deals! The school campus I'm working at is strictly comprised of PK 3 year-olds, so there are only 8 classes. We still need 2 teachers, but the rest of us all get along great. And we're all Christians, so that's amazing and a HUGE blessing! We're just hoping we all get to stay at our location (they can move us until Aug 20; that and other issues will have to be a separate venting post).

So can you see why this has been a whirlwind of a week?

For those who have trouble interpreting the signs:

And you thought the driving test was hard.