At First I Was Afraid

Thanks for the prayers! They definitely helped make today smooth and relatively stress free. It helped that only 13 of my 22 students showed up! And they were rather quiet. I know it won't last. It's all strategy. They're feeling me out, seeing how much they can get away with. Plus, I'm sure the noise level will spike once the other 9 kids show up. I'm just praying tomorrow will be just as smooth. And fast. Today flew by! I seriously don't know what happened to the time! I didn't even have enough time to show the kids the complete routine. But that's what this first week is for -- to work out our class rosters and lay the ground work (i.e., rules, consequences, routines). So let's keep praying that the whole year is as smooth as this first day! And I'll post pics of my AWESOME classroom once I revive my dead camera with new batteries.

I NEED PRAYER!!!!

My alarm is going off in three hours.
I'm leaving for work in four and a half hours.
I'll arrive at work in five and a half hours.
New children will begin arriving in my classroom in six hours.
I barely have anything planned.
Some of them may be crying.
Some of them may try to tear up my room.
Some of them may not even speak English.
Most of the parents probably don't speak English.
I'm not fluent in Spanish.
I've been in England for three weeks.
That makes my Spanish even rustier.
Or is it "more rusty?"
Whatev.
My point?
Pray.
Long.
And hard.
Please.
Please.
Please.
I may not survive without it.
Seriously.

There & Back Again

So I've been back from England for a week and I literally had to "hit the ground running." My original flight was set for Thurs (Aug 9) but when I got to the airport the electronic check-in kiosk said there was a prob with my reservation and I needed to go to the check-in help counter (British Airways is now very high tech -- you check yourself in either online or at a kiosk, then you wait in the world's longest line so they can check your baggage; if you have probs, then you're allowed to see an employee behind a counter who will check in you and your luggage). So after waiting in line for about 40 minutes I get to the counter and the lady tells me there's a problem -- my flight has been canceled! The plane got stuck in Barbados, of all places! So I HAD to stay in England for two extra days. Boo hoo.

After I finally got everything sorted (had to wait another hour in customer service line and then decide if i wanted to travel the next day and bother w/ changing flights and airlines and moving luggage OR wait two days and catch the same non-stop flight I originally had -- that was a no brainer!) we dropped my luggage off at Jez's brother's house and explored Croyden - a community just south of London. Actually, Jez and Justyna mostly shopped and I decided to sit outside and finish reading The Goose Girl -- such an amazing book, btw!!! It was nice to relax and be on my own for a bit.

We ate lunch in a Spanish restaurant and I tried tapas for the first time. They were yummy! And their Sangria was very nice -- there were bits of fresh fruit in the glass, as you can see.









I spent my last day just hanging around Bedford; mostly in Jez and Justyna's house. I had already bid farewell to people and had my mind set to be alone on a plane for 10 hours, so I wasn't that bothered to go out or anything. I'm just sad I didn't get to see my friend Sarah again. She didn't get my messages until Saturday, when we were already heading back to London. But she called me Monday morning, as I was at work waiting for a meeting to start. It was nice talking to her, even though it made me wish I was back in England and not at work; something that's not hard to do, anyway. Being back at work -- that's a whole other post. *sigh*

So I'm going to forget that school starts tomorrow and that it's Sunday morning and I still need to go up the school and finish my classroom and leave you with a few cool photos of our time in Brighton. I definitely need to go back there. Although I could do without the rocky beach. Yes, ROCKY beach.

UGH!

Can't believe I'll already be heading home in less than 3 days. How is it possible for two weeks to pass so quickly, yet it still feels like I've been here forever? I guess cause this place fits so well and feels so much like home, minus my family; therefore, I feel like I never left.

I've taken lots of great pics and I'll post some tomorrow because I can't be bothered to go upstairs and get my camera cord. Besides, I'm going down to Brighton tomorrow (a city on the southern coast) and I'm sure I'll have more pics to upload. So I might as well do it all in one go.

Well, just wanted to check in and let u all know that all is well with me. Minus the fact that I go back to work in less than a week. Ugh! I need some serious prayer: 1.) That I'll start the new school year off with the right attitude and 2.) That I'll actually get on the airplane Thurs afternoon. They're still offering me a job here at The Nightshelter . . . too bad it's voluntary and I'll only get a small stipend that won't even pay half my monthly student loan payments. Ugh! This being a responsible grown-up thing is sooooo overrated!

Still in England

I know I haven't checked in recently, but I'm still here. I left Bedford Saturday and travelled up to Sheffield, where I've connected with some old friends and my former college pastors. It's been great! I really like the city but I don't think I could ever drive here -- there are too many steep roads and sharp turns.

There was actually an American youth group on a mission trip here. They're from Calvary Community Church in Houston, of all places! The church is close to my house and some of the team members live literally down the street from me. Small world, huh? So I promised them I will check out their church when I get back into town. I've actually visited once and rather enjoyed it.

This afternoon my friend Kelley took me out to the Peaks District. It was beautiful! I had actually wanted to go to Chatsworth, the place where the most recent Pride and Prejudice movie was filmed, but The Peaks are closer and cheaper. I'll post pics once I get back to Bedford.

Well, just wanted to let you all know that I am alive and well. I head back to Bedford tomorrow and I'll visit London Thursday. Ciao for now!

Self Portrait

So this morning I woke up at 8:45, despite having gone to bed around 3. Yay me! I started making breakfast and was nearly done when Jez and Justyna came home from work at 9:20. My salsa was ok - I've made better - but they seemed to really like it. I forgot to take pics, though. Maybe next time.

At 1:15 I walked into town to visit my friend Sarah at work. She works in the awesome cafe called The Cheese Kitchen. She took her lunch break and we got to sit and chat for abt 45 min. It was so great seeing her! She's an American who married a Brit and has lived here for about 3 years, and she's starving for American companionship, so I was happy to be there for her.

Walking home from lunch with Sarah, it started raining. I popped into a shop to try to wait it out, but $20 later it was still raining! So I walked home. In the rain. And got wet. Hence the picture below.

Day 2

Well, it's the end of my first full day in Bedford, my second day in England. I stayed up 'til 3:30 am reading and ended up sleeping 'til 1:30! But it's ok, cause Jez and Justyna are working night shifts at the Nightshelter; so I don't have to feel bad about sleeping while they're awake and waiting for me. Hopefully I'll go to bed a bit earlier tonight, but I dunno cause
I just bought the new Harry Potter book at Sainsbury's. My friend Greta ordered it for me from Amazon but it didn't arrive before I left. I saw so many people reading it on the airplane and realized I just couldn't wait two more weeks to read it! Besides, I would be starting back at work and staying up all hours of the night to read the book wouldn't help me get back on a normal sleep schedule. Anywho, I'm excited to read to British version of the book anyway.

When Justyna finally woke up, around 4:30, we made our way down the street to the fish and chips shop. Yum yum!


After we got home and I opened the package, I was a bit disgusted with all the grease (granted they did put vinegar, which doesn't help the appearace of grease, but makes it worse):

But I still ate some (but not all of it, you'd be happy to know):

Tomorrow morning I'm making juevos rancheros. Justyna thinks it's so strange to have salsa on eggs. So I need to educate the poor Polish woman. I'll let ya'll know what she thinks. So goodbye for now!

Safe & Sound

Well, I've arrived in Bedford safe and sound with no major problems. It was so much fun to see my friends waiting for me, holding a large banner that read Miss Deborah Heifer. I was laughing so hard!

It's around 3 and I just finished a lovely bacon on bagel sandwich. I was bursting w/ energy when I first arrived, but about an hour into the train ride I started fading. Now I'm ready for a nap but I'm afraid I'll end up sleeping all day and not be able to sleep tonight (I didn't get any sleep on the plane, so I'm extra sleepy).

Alright, just wanted to check in and let you all know I am alive and well in Bedford. Ciao!

***UDATE***
Here's a lovely pic of me and Justyna holding the lovely sign she made for me. We were waiting for the train to arrive and had way too much time on our hands!


Now I'm in Bedford, in Justyna's garden, eating something I shouldn't be: chocolate!


I don't think I look half bad for having been on an airplane for 9 hours and the train for 2 and not sleeping in over 24 hours!

Peace Out!

Since it's already 11 minutes past my planned departure time, I figured I might as well write a quick post letting everyone know I'm leaving for England today! My flight's at 7:30. Thankfully it's direct and should last around 9 hours. And I'm excited because my friend Justyna is meeting me in London and we'll take the train together up to Bedford.

Even though I'm out of the country, I won't be out of the blogosphere. I plan to make a post or two while I'm over there. So I'll blog with you soon!

Doodling . . .

. . . is what kept me awake during my training this morning.

I shamelessly colored in my swirls and dots while sitting at the same table with two of the three presenters. Yeah, I so didn't care. I even passed notes to my friends.

It was a training geared more towards Special Ed Teachers/Administrators/Directors, so much of the jargon was over my head. But I did my best . . . when I wasn't doodling in an effort to fight off the sleep.

The training tomorrow should be much better. It's about helping children comprehend text, something I majorly need more help with.

But now, it's bedtime. Yay!

The Prodigal Returns

But no slaughtering of a fatted calf, or whatever, for me. No sir e. More like 15 minutes on the spin bike (which inflicts pain upon areas that God never intended to receive pain apart from childbirth). 2 miles walking at 4.0 and 3.5 on an incline. I had to reduce the incline cause i was nearly falling off the treadmill! Plus 250 knee lifts. Then outside for 4 laps around the parking lot (which equals a mile). Then this weird kicking thing where u get a partner and, beginning w/ the right leg, alternate kicking at each other's waist at the same time. 2 sets of 40 and 2 sets of 50 kicks. Then another 2 laps around the parking lot. Then suicides -- where u run to the first line, touch it, run back to the starting line, touch it, run to the 2nd line, touch it, run back-- I think u get the idea. When I got home I made a beeline to the spa. Unfortunately it took 20 min to heat up, so I occupied my time w/ eating a nice South Beach dinner of halibut, brown rice, and roasted brussel sprouts. Mmmm . . .

Anyway, that's what happens when you don't see your trainer for nearly a week. He tries to kill you.

So I'm still amazed that summer is SPEEDING BY. It's crazy! I've had trainings this week and last. They've been very informative. But the best part (besides that they were free cause my school actually paid for them) is all the free stuff I've received. Literally hundreds of dollars worth of materials. It's awesome! Today's seminar I had to pay - a whole $20 - but I won a door prize AND got 3 reference books. I love this teacher training stuff! Esp since I get to see at least 3 or 4 friends at each session!

So that's how I've been spending my time. What about you?

Oh, and did I mention I'm going to England next week? Very excited! I'll be there for 17 days! Mostly in Bedford but I'll go up to Sheffield to visit some friends and down to London to visit another friend and I hope to see more of the country; something that didn't happen on my previous visits cause I was working or visiting w/ people. So far my friend Justyna and I have trips planned for Brighton (which I always read about in Jane Austen books) and Cambridge (which I know will make me want to go to grad school -- at Cambridge. Keep dreaming, Deb). I'd love to visit Ireland or Scotland, but Justyna's Polish passport has expired and she may get deported if she gets caught. Something I don't think her hubby would appreciate . . .

Back in the Saddle Again

No, I'm not dating, I'm back at the gym. And I'm a bit sore today.

I fully intended to type up this post last night but I had a migraine that would NOT go away. It finally did around 2 am, thankfully.

Anywho, yesterday I was a big girl and made my way across town to meet my trainer. He was very gracious and didn't work me as hard as I feared he would. Nevertheless, I was DYING at the end of it.

Normally I would go and he'd work me for well over an hour; closer to an hour and a half. I'd be exhausted at the end of it all but feel well. Yesterday, I was about ready to throw up and I couldn't believe I was having such a hard time. I didn't realize how much my strength and endurance had drop after many months of inactivity. So sad.

Here's what he had me do:
-Warm up on the bike; 12 min on level 5
-250 leg lifts (I did 300 cause I was waiting for him to come back from talking to someone else)
-200 jumping jacks (who knew that fun childhood exercise could be a form of torture 20 yrs later?)
-15 stairs (going up and down 15 times; this is the one that surprised me -- thought he would give me more, then happy he didn't cause that's around the time I was ready to puke)
-1 mile on the treadmill (this also surprised me; used to do 2 or 3. but again, I was ready to lose the contents of my stomach)

For John the Trainer, this is an easy workout. As I was finishing my mile he was calling people outside for a torture camp. I was so paranoid he would call me out there I kept my head down and kept walking/jogging. When I finished my mile (which took a good 14 minutes, sadly) I went over to him and said I was about to throw up. He said those three beautiful words, "You're finished, sweetie." He didn't have to tell me twice; I got the heck up outta there!

I'm supposed to go back in a couple hours. I'll let you know if I make it out of there alive again.

Why am I still awake???

Your true color is Green!
You're green, the color of growth and vigor. Good-hearted and giving, you have a knack for finding and bringing out the best in people. Green is the most down-to-earth color in the spectrum — reliable and trustworthy. People know they can count on you to be around in times of need, since your concern for people is genuine and sincere. You take pride in being a good friend. For you, success is measured in terms of personal achievement and growth, not by status or position. Rare as emeralds, greens are wonderful, natural people. It truly is your color!


What's Your True Color?

Brought to you by Tickle

Happy 4th of July!

It didn't feel much like a holiday today. I guess all the rain we've been having dampened the spirit for me. Besides, I've been on holiday from work for four weeks now, so it's not like I'm getting a break from anything. But I got more into it as the day went on and I kept seeing and hearing about the different celebrations going on around town. Hearing mention of honoring the troops and veterans made me a bit sad cause it reminded me that my grandpa's not with us anymore.
My Uncle Mark (Blo, for you Thinklings peeps) called in the afternoon and invited me over to his house. I took my niece and we had fun popping fireworks and seeing all the neighbors' fireworks. It was hilarious watching my Uncle Larry light a fuse and then run across the street as soon as it burst into flames. It was also funny how Mark kept laughing and jumping after each firework we set off; as if it was the first one and we hadn't done a dozen right before that. My niece was a bit freaked out at first by all the loud noise and bursts of light. I think that's cause she was running around with our cousins when we first went outside and they kept saying, "Oh no, they're gonna get us! They're gonna get us!" That stuck in her head cause for the first 15 minutes of fireworks she'd say, "Oh no!" everytime she heard a pop; which was quite often, I might add. But by the end of the night she was sitting back and taking it all in . . . or she could have just been paralized w/ fear . . . :o) Just kidding, Brandi! She enjoyed it. She was braver than Caleb in that she wanted to do the extra long sparklers all by herself. So, there was fun to be had by all!
I hope you guys enjoyed your holiday. I'm rather tired, myself. Time for bed!

TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY!!!

I shamelessly posted this so that you all have a lovely place to bestow 27th birthday greetings and well-wishes upon me! So, comment away, people! It doesn't matter whether you know me or not; just leave me some comments! You don't even have to buy me a pressie (although, I do have an amazon wish list . . . hint . . . hint . . .)

Dieting by Default

So, my brother Eric/Bird and his wife have been on South Beach Diet for a few months now. Amazingly Eric has stuck to it, hasn't cheated, and therefore, dropped 40 pounds! (Good for u, bird!)
So last week my brother David/Sha decided to give it a try, after seeing how successful Eric has been. Plus Bird and Brandi convinced him he could drop 5 pounds by the end of the week, allowing him to fit more easily into his suit for the funeral. Well, we all went to lunch that first day (Tuesday) and Bird and Brandi schooled him in the ways of South Beach. I told them all I will do South Beach for the week, to give Sha moral support. Honestly, I just didn't want to be the only one pigging out all week.
Fast forward to today, 9 days later: Everyone's gone, but I'm still dieting! What the heck?!
I figured I would try to hold out and complete Phase I. Plus, Sha is still on it. Now, I'm okay with one brother weighing less than me, but not BOTH OF THEM. Plus, I'm pretty sure I can do whatever they can do.
Therefore, I'm dieting by default (with a tinge of sibling rivalry mixed in).
And I've lost about 10 pounds. Hopefully, next week I can start consistently going to the gym again . . . I wonder if my trainer remembers me . . . He better, since he's engaged to one of my best friends and they're coming to my birthday party next week!
All that being said, I want sugar, darn it! I can't wait to start Phase II so I can start eating those two squares of dark chocolate everyday!

I'm a Texas girl!

You Are 72% Texas

Well, knock me down and steal muh teeth! You're pretty darn Texan.

How Texas Are You?

Summer To Do List

I'm a bit panicked cause I blinked and it's already the last days of June. How the heck did that happen?!

When I dreamed of summer during those long days of educating America's future generation, I had many hopes and dreams for how I would spend my days. What have I accomplished, you ask? Well, let's see, I've gone swimming multiple times a week, my tan is looking nice, I found a place near my house that threads for cheaper than the place I used to go to last year, and I've gone swimming multiple times a week. Yup, that about sums it up.

In an effort not to waste the rest of my summer, I'm typing out my summer to do list here. Hopefully, seeing it in black and white will breathe some life into my summer plans and prompt me to get to work!

So, I present to you, in no particular order, my Summer To Do List:

1. Organize the boxes of papers I brought home from school w/ me.

2. Finish unpacking and organizing my room (honestly, this may not happen, but I really hope it does!)

3. Sort through my classroom materials (yes, this is different from #1).

4. Finish reading Watership Down, Anna Karenina, the lastest Wheel of Time book, and the numerous other books I started reading in the past year(s) that I have yet to finish.

5. Go to England (unfortunately just to visit, not to live).

6. See Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix at IMAX in 3D!

7. Visit Waco (especially Antioch -- I sure do miss that church!)


Hmmm . . . when I began writing this post I thought my list would be much longer than this . . .

Well, I guess it's enough to get me started and keep me busy. Hopefully I get it all done! Why am I such a procrastinator???

So far, my summer's been

Have you ever experienced something that was so real it felt like a dream?

Or have you ever had so many words to say or write you can't help but say or write any of them?

That's been my life so far this summer. The past few months, really.

On having too many words: School ended but there was still the stress of cleaning out my classroom, then pre-prep for next year, then subbing for summer school. Plus trying to tie up loose ends w/ Mr. Lying-South-American (who turns out to not have a girlfriend or fiance back in his country, but a WIFE! yeah, i know!) Add to that buying a house, packing and moving. Suddenly, in the midsts of it all, my Grandpa Jimmy (my dad's step-dad) was hospitalized for high fever due to his pneumonia. Simple enough, right? Not so much. Turns out he has a problem w/ his blood. After nearly a month of tests, the doctors figure his body is producing too many antibodies, which began attacking his platelets and then his red and white blood cells. So the grandparent we believed would out-live them all, is dying. We've known for months that my mom's dad was also dying of liver (and possibly colon) cancer. He just got weaker and weaker (thankfully w/o any pain) until he went to sleep in his home last Sunday night and woke up in Heaven Monday morning.

On things that are so real they feel like a dream: When my dad called me at 7:15 a.m. Monday morning and told me "Grandpa died," I wasn't sure which one he meant. He and my mom had gone over to her parents' house late Saturday night when my grandma called to tell them Grandpa was complaining of being in pain. They called the doc who didn't seem to think he needed to go to hospital and called in a pain killer for him. He slept most of the day Sunday, hardly eating or drinking anything. Then, he went to "bed" that night, insisting he wear his dentures and glasses (something he has NEVER done before). When they went to wake him up Monday morning, he was peacefully lying there, with his hands folded across his chest.
In a daze I called my brothers to give them the news. I had a last minute trip to England planned for that night, so I immediately called to cancel that (I had been planning to cancel it anyway, since it looked like Grandpa was getting worse). I got dressed and left home, not really knowing where I was going. I stopped by work to close out my timesheet then talked to one of my good friends for nearly an hour. I left there and decided to call my mom to see if I should go to Grandma's. She told me to come on over, that they had just come for the body and one of my uncles and two of my cousins were already there. So I made a beeline to my grandma's house, crying most of the way over. I composed myself once I pulled into the driveway, only to lose it again once I stepped foot inside the door and saw my mom. And my poor Grandma. She kept telling me, "I can't believe he's gone . . . " I can't imagine saying your final goodbye to the man you've been married to for 60 years . . .
I stayed the whole day and then spent the night. It was precious, seeing my uncles arrive one by one. They would quietly make their way over to their mother and then bend over and embrace her with tears in their eyes. I cannot put the words together to describe the sight of seeing these grown, middle-aged men crying in the arms of their 4'11" 80-year-old mother. It's a sight I shall never forget.
The rest of the week seemed a blur. After I got home Tuesday morning, my brothers and I went over to the hospital to visit Grandpa Jimmy. That was hard. Then his daughters and sons coming over as we were leaving to give their condolences made me break down again, something I NEVER do in front of my brothers. But I got used to it by Thursday night, when it took what seemed like ages for me to compose myself long enough to read what I wrote at my grandpa's wake, in front a room of nearly 200 people.
The funeral on Friday passed as quickly as the days leading up to it. But again, there are things I shall never forget: Grandma saying, "Bye, darling" as she looked at grandpa for the last time; my mom crying at the coffin as she, too, said goodbye for the final time; my brothers and uncles lined up, teary-eyed, waiting for the coffin to emerge from the hearse; hundreds of people speaking of the wonderful things Grandpa did to help them while growing up, even though it had been no less than 13 years since they all last saw him; the veterans firing their rifles, folding the flag and handing it to Grandma; all current and former military men saluting him for the final time; grabbing a fistfull of dirt and watching it slip through my fingers, onto the coffin; seeing the coffin slowly descend into the grave.
Grandpa was 89. He will be greatly missed by his wife, daughter, four sons, son-in-law, two daughters-in-law, eleven grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and countless others he touched through the years. He was an orphan and spent his life taking care of others who lost a parent(s) or who had a need he could fill. The greatest inheritance he left us is having his same type of servant's heart and the joy of the Lord as our strength. I am ever so grateful for these two gifts.

You know you're getting old (or just sleep-deprived) when...

1. You think the cruise control on your car is broken until you realize you were just pushing the wrong button.

2. You have a meowing contest with your cat across from the other side of your apartment.

3. You're sure that a bird outside your window was serenading you with the "La la la la la" chorus from "Lovin' You."

4. You think an anti-drug commercial is asking you if you're hooked on math.

Reflections of the third decade, part IV

It's staggering to take a step back and see how much has changed in 10 years -- not only with obvious stuff, but also with attitudes and paradigms. For instance:

Me at 21: Praying for a car!
Me at 31: Praying that my car will last for another 2 years!

Me at 21: Hoping my hair coloring will grow out soon.
Me at 31: Hoping I won't have to start using Rogaine For Women anytime soon.

Me at 21: In college, with barely a penny to my name.
Me at 31: Working, with the bills getting paid (hallelujah!) and actually USING my college degree (hallelujah!!).

Me at 21: The internet: that scary thing that my professors make me use sometimes.
Me at 31: The internet: that wonderfully convenient thing that can be really hard to live without.

Me at 21: The cell phone: good for emergencies.
Me at 31: The cell phone: being without it is an emergency.

Me at 21: Cats are snobs. Dogs (and squirrels) are more fun.
Me at 31: Dogs are nice and squirrels are fun to chase, but cats are da bomb!! Yes, with lots of time and love, they CAN be trained.

Me at 21: Surrounded by dozens of people all the time, I feel pretty popular.
Me at 31: Most of the time, it's just me and my cats, but as long as God is in control, I'll be content.

Me at 21: Trying to be better than everybody else.
Me at 31: Trying to bless and serve everybody else, and avoiding the high horse at all costs!!

Me at 21: Ready to conquer the world.
Me at 31: Not ashamed to admit when I want my mommy.

Me at 21: Expecting life to be handed to me on a silver platter.
Me at 31: Knowing that life can suck, but trying to stay hopeful. And I ain't gonna hold my breath for no silver platter.

Me at 21: A heartbeat away from questioning if God even exists.
Me at 31: Of course God exists. I know Him. And if I didn't try to rely on Him every day, I would be toast. (I kid you not.)

Me at 21: An even bigger heartbeat away from believing that my life had become a pile of crap.
Me at 31: Thankful for every heartbeat and every minute that God has given me in this big, crazy miracle called life.

My Impression of Local Drivers

DALLAS: Excuse me, pardon me, coming through. Oooooh, waaaait a mmmminute... It's a wrrrreck... Let's gawwwwwk... OK, gawking over. Where's the accelerator? Excuse me, pardon me.

FORT WORTH: I AM CONDUCTING AN EXPERIMENT TO SEE HOW FAST MY CAR CAN GO, SO MOVE IT OR LOSE IT!!

ARLINGTON: What? I wasn't tailgating you. I was only 2 inches away from your rear bumper.

IRVING: WAKE UP, SLEEPING BEAUTY! THAT LIGHT HAS BEEN GREEN FOR .005 SECONDS ALREADY, SO I WILL SIT ON MY HORN UNTIL YOU MOVE YOUR BUTT!!!

LUBBOCK: Why do they keep putting up these speed limit signs? Driving should be an expression of the soul.

ODESSA: The red light means that you have either 5 seconds to cross the intersection or until cars start coming from the other direction -- whichever comes first. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm late for my appointment at the bar. Unfortunately, I can't drive too fast to get there, because if I go 4 MPH over the speed limit, a cop will appear out of nowhere and give me a ticket. Although, I'm not quite sure where the cop goes AFTER the bar closes...

WACO: Please observe that I-35 has 3 lanes to accommodate various traveling speeds: 60 MPH on the far right, 70 in the middle, and 80 on the far left. By the way -- can anyone explain to me what a "traffic jam" is? I've heard of this phenomenon, but I don't believe I've ever witnessed one myself. Is it anything like waiting in line to get into the stadium on Valley Mills to see a Baylor game?

Reflections of the third decade, part III

As I get older, I find that I am more concerned with being myself than with trying to be cool. More concerned with spending my money on what counts than with splurging on the latest thing that everyone else is getting. More concerned with doing unto others than with striving to please others. More concerned with communicating well than with getting a word in edgewise. More concerned with being at peace than with being understood.

I spend more time developing friendships with faithful people than I spend chasing friendships than may never really develop. I value time spent with family more than I value time spent trying to impress some cute guy (who has already noticed somebody else, anyway).

I am more content with enjoying a sensible home-cooked meal (even though I am not really a good cook -- trust me on this) than with rushing to the drive-thru at some mouth-watering fast food place that will probably just make my cholesterol levels go up.

My cats are more adorable, more appreciated, and more precious to me with each passing day. (Even though technically in the feline world, they are senior citizens now (and they can get crotchety) and they regularly try to blanket my apartment with their hair.)

I spend more time trying to absorb the meaning in a good book and less time trying to read as many books as possible. I don't mind watching the same movies over and over again if each viewing is enjoyable. I don't mind listening to the same album repeatedly if each playback is still a masterpiece. I don't mind strumming the same tunes on my guitar if I get to genuinely express myself each time.

I am less concerned with what I am supposed to become and more concerned with who I am. Less freaked out about all the mistakes I've made in the past and more freaked out about how I could miss the whole point of today. Less in a hurry to arrive to the next season in life and more eager for time to slow down so that I can fully enjoy this era that God has given me.

After 11 months, I break my silence with this story:

This gives me hope.

Clive is a super hottie!

Except being married to someone that hot and that famous will prob make me very insecure.

Wal-Mart boycott update II

The following is a progress report on the Wal-Mart boycott that I basically began in June 2005. (For more details, see my blog entries dated 6/7/05 and 9/16/05.)

I am happy to report that even though I am living on a fairly tight budget, I have neither gone hungry nor broke since I have decided to stop patronizing the Wal-Martopoly.

To recap, this isn't a complete boycott of the Wal-Mart Corporation. I still have a Sam's card, even though I'm not able to visit Sam's Club as often as I used to. And recently I went online to walmart.com to download music (but they didn't have the song I was looking for, so I downloaded it from iTunes instead).

I realize that many people depend on Wal-Mart stores to meet their limited budgets -- visiting the noisy, smelly Supercenters, risking their lives in the overcrowded parking lots, trekking on these grand shopping excursions, saving the few cents per item that they need to save on every grocery bill. But this fact only fuels my indignation towards these slum stores. Wal-Mart knows they're usually the cheapest, so they expect to have the lowest common denominator customer base shopping at their stores, which Wal-Mart staff keeps apathetically scuzzy, with atrocious customer service. In other words, they take advantage of poor people -- this is the gist of my theory.

But there is no need for the cheapskate Wal-Martopoly to put anybody out of business. During my boycott, the resulting bargain-hunting has caused me to find the shopping gene that I thought was missing from my DNA as a female. Using Target, Dollar Tree, and Tom Thumb, God has made a way for me to buy most of my grocery and health items and home decor (and also eBay for entertainment and misc. items) and still live within my means. (Alas, there are no HEBs around here!) It is fun to hunt for bargains, and refreshing whenever I find something on sale. To me, this is intellectually stimulating and rewarding. (Except I still hate shopping for clothes. Blech.)

I have also found that not every community in America is economically dependent on Wal-Mart for its survival. For example, according to one website (http://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/stories/2004/10/25/story4.html), Duncanville, a Dallas suburb, doesn't even have a Wal-Mart anymore. And Duncanville is hardly a ghost town.

So not everybody needs a Wal-Mart, and Lord willing, I certainly don't, either.

(Note: Most of my past Wal-Mart experiences were in Waco and Odessa. Since I just moved to the Dallas area recently, of course I have not visited the Wal-Marts in my area. I am only operating on the assumption that all Wal-Marts are the same.)

Prove me wrong, Wal-Martopoly -- show me sparking clean stores, stellar customer service, and an efficient shopping experience that will make me rush to your door every time I collect my paycheck -- and this boycott will be over. But until then, this chick is keeping her money where her mouth is.

P.S. Happy Easter, everyone! :)

Keeping the Zoo

I have wanted to post a follow-up to my blog entry about zookeepers (posted on in June 2005), but I confess that I've procrastinated... I think I've been putting it off because it involves me talking about one of my least favorite subjects of all time: politics. (Blech -- too much yelling.)

I've got several ideas swirling around in my head. Please bear with me as they solidify into something (hopefully) coherent.

First, I need to clarify the definition of the word "liberal." At least, from my understanding, the word "liberal" should not be synonymous with "Democrat"; rather, to be "liberal" basically means to be totally open-minded about just about anything. (I've met some truly liberal people -- they're usually a lot of fun to be around because they are very accepting of other people and you can talk to them about Christianity without them telling you to get your Bible out of their face. Their filter is a little bit out of kilter, but still they can be neat to get to know.) So for the purpose of this discourse (please, no yelling! :)), allow me to use the term "left-winger" instead of liberal and "right-winger" instead of conservative.

Most of the time, I vote for right-winger candidates because they normally stand for the same values that I do. (Unless I think the Republican in a particular race is a total dork; in that case, I will vote for the Democrat.) In the most recent presidential election, I proudly voted to re-elect George W. Bush because I was pleased at how he would speak pretty openly about his faith throughout his first term. The only things I personally haven't been pleased about during his second term are his over-willingness to keep the Mexican border open (nearly half of my relatives are originally from Mexico, so that is another discussion altogether -- ¡Ay!) and that morning-after pill legislation he signed (whattup with that??). Hopefully, I have merely misunderstood his stance on those issues... But overall, I still support our president and am glad he is still in office. My prayer is that God will place another godly man or woman in the presidency in 2008 (hey, if Condi Rice were to run for president, I would vote for her in a second! :)).

That being said, of course, you can probably see how I am kind of a rare breed as an employee in the mainstream media. (Technically, I work for a media-service company, but for simplicity's sake, I am in the media -- and I have been for several years, in different outlets/venues.) Overwhelmingly, most of my media colleagues are left-wingers, and I won't repeat here the things they have said about our president.

So, logically speaking, I usually shake my head whenever I hear Christians, especially right-wingers, complain about the "liberal media" and how they're bashing President Bush or Republicans, etc. Um, hello? How many right-wingers do you know who work in the mainstream media? (Not counting Fox News.) Or, for that matter, how many Christians? Unfortunately, there are not many -- at least, not that I've found.

My theory is that that's just the nature of the business. I've noticed that right-wingers tend to be drawn to more conservative/traditional careers -- lawyers, teachers, business owners, etc. And left-wingers seem to be drawn to careers that don't always fit inside "the box" -- actors, writers, journalists, artists, activists, etc.... often they gravitate towards the media.

I say we should bring more right-wingers into the media whenever possible, at least to even it out a little bit and -- within reason -- expose as many people as possible to as many points of view as possible. (I think true liberals would love that, wouldn't they? :)) So, parents, instead of scaring your children away from the "liberal media," let me propose to you that God can use your child in just about any field -- even in the media.

Christians, hopefully you can see that there is a whole world full of people out there who are dying. Perhaps we should stop sweating the small stuff and just be the church that God needs us to be. In Ephesians 6, I read that our battle is against principalities and powers, not flesh and blood -- not even Democrats.

I truly believe that all of us -- right-wingers and left-wingers -- can learn a lot from each other. Right-wingers can learn that it is OK to be a little more open-minded about things sometimes, and that the problems we are facing in America today are NOT all the Democrats' fault. Left-wingers can learn that we could use a little more morality in our legislation; our society is really running amok in many respects, and it won't begin to get any better unless we start tightening the reigns.

That is my two cents. Instead of freaking out whenever a Hollywood actor makes an uncouth political comment, rejoice whenever anyone in the media shares your views. (Patricia Heaton (who, from what I've heard, is pro-life) is my new favorite actress. :)) The media are full of mostly left-winged viewpoints -- and frankly, unless we right-wingers lend the zookeepers a hand in reporting the news or performing in the arts, that ain't likely to change anytime soon.

Please feel free to add as many comments as you like (but please, no yelling!! :)), and thanks for reading. :)

Reflections of the third decade, part II

Being a bona fide adult can really be overrated sometimes. But here are some random things that I am thankful for right now.

1) Carmex for my chapped lips. (Yes, they really are chapped right now.)

2) My dryer's lint screen, which recently brought in solid cat hair.

3) Lowe's Home Improvement, which sells my favorite fireplace logs in bulk. (They burn just fine when the damper is open.)

4) My dishwasher (which could make the difference between roaches or no roaches -- trust me on this one).

5) A paycheck with which I can actually keep a pantry stocked with real food -- namely, Cheetos and canned pineapple. (Yummy).

6) My patio -- even though I suspect that it may be home to some wasps or yellow jackets (unless I call maintenance soon...).

7) The privilege of watching my cat try to catch falling snowflakes through the window.

8) Working a night job, where the traffic driving to work isn't usually too bad ... and where going to bed at 1:30 in the morning is considered really, really early. (Really.)

9) Working in a big city, where if you fall asleep at the green light, some dude will promptly honk and yell out the window to alert you.

10) Living in the suburbs, where you can enjoy a sturdy October moon, in December, gently shrouded in clouds above the city's din.

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 . . .