4 More Weeks of Torture, 2 to Die and Then We Start Over Again

We just finished watching "The Producers", the movie. I had previously read the play and have to say that I really enjoyed the movie version. I love Nathan Lane and who doesn't like Matthew Broderick? Uma Thurman has also recently become one of my fav actresses. H really enjoyed Will Ferrell's character. He has a movie coming out with Emma Thompson (definite fav) titled "Stranger than Fiction" that I am looking forward to. I will have posted some more vids of upcoming movies and such by the time I post this. Can you tell how much I enjoy movies?

School...could be better. I've let myself fall behind a bit. But all that reading I did ahead of time will be paying off soon. While we're starting to cover those readings, I can catch up on what we've already covered. Don't know if that made much sense, but oh well. We're about to discuss "Fight Club" and we rented it this weekend. I have never seen it before and we had to go to four different video rental places to find one on dvd that wasn't checked out. It followed the book pretty well and there weren't too many suprises. I did like though how images were spliced into the movie like the character does in the theater. It was interesting. The movie ending left you hanging a bit compared to the book. But hopefully, I can now devote the reading time I would have spent on that to other reading I need to do.

This weekend had some fun moments. I babysat Saturday morning. How is this fun, you ask? Well, the older kids entertained themselves and I got to enjoy the baby. He is about 5 or 6 months old, tiny, and the happiest little man ever. He didn't fuss once and was so fun to cuddle and make laugh. I enjoyed it immensely. Contrary to what everyone believes, I am not baby hungry or due for the next yet. I really enjoyed him but also saw how hard it would be to accomplish other things while having to attend to a little one...the reason that his mom had me watch him while they moved. He sure was cute though.

Saturday night, we went south and took out my father in law along with my bro in law and his fam. We all went out to a buffet restaurant and each ate our fair share of food. It was nice to get out and be with the fam with some good food we didn't have to cook. We then wandered around a huge sportsman's store. They had a live aquarium in the store and the kids loved it. I say the kids, but I mean me too. The aquarium is really tall and I was staring a fish right in the face when it sort of yawned and I could see all the way into it. It was very surprising and I lifted the kids to see too. We then went home and watched a movie. I passed out on the couch and slept so well that me and the kids had to miss church.

I have to go to school tomorrow and am not sure I want to. I desperately want the semester to be done. I am tired, a little bored, and trying hard to not get sick. If you know any seasoned college students, you'll know they only allow themselves to get sick between semesters. It's like we make a deal with our bodies to wait until just after finals and then we can allow ourselves to die for two weeks on the couch with a gallon of Nyquil and a box of tissue. And just when we're alive enough to enjoy the break, it's time to start all over again. Speaking of, I have to register for spring classes in a couple days. I'm feeling the stress of the GRE and the Praxis II weighing on me. I signed up to take the GRE in about a week and a half. Wish me luck, cause no one needs it more than me.

Willy Wonka, Chewbacca, the Penguin and the Skeleton Knight

Man, I was pretty pissed during my morning class (not the British 'pissed' = drunk, but the mad pissed). At the beginning of class, the prof came over to some of us with laptops and informed us that she decided to ban laptops for the rest of the semester. She said that they are too distracting and she was pretty sure that we were not JUST taking notes with them. In other words, she has caught on that most of us are surfing the web and some are chatting during her lectures. Now, I will not say that I am innocent of any of the above, however, I was giving the stink eye for the remainder of class her way. It is completely ridiculous in my point of view to do this now. All of my notes and downloaded readings thus far are on my comp and are now inaccessible. I could print them up but hate the idea of wasting all that paper when I have a perfectly good way to access them without all the waste. I save a ton of paper while taking notes in Word also. I really wanted to fight her on this but felt that it would be futile and had the sense that it would later reflect badly in my assignment grades. So, I will suffer in silence...at least regarding her. I fully plan to think pissed off thoughts and eyeball them her way for a while. I know, not very Christian. But I have to say this is a much better and more appropriately respectful plan of action than outright defiance and throwing a tantrum.

Being Halloween, I had the pleasure of riding the train today beside Mr. Willy Wonka himself. And after lunch, Mody took a pic of me and Chewbacca on the way to class. I have to say that he is as tall in person as he seems in the movies. I think he may have gone bald though as his fur had the appearance of extensions. Well, I guess age will get us all eventually. On the way into the library, I encountered what I mistook as a wombat and was actually Count Chocula. Thankfully, the mistake was not verbalized. Can you imagine the embarassment of mistaking a chocolate-loving vampire for a common flying weasel. The horror! Along my way through the day, I had the privilege of seeing many other characters, animals, and one poor girl that looked like a disco diva until I realized she wasn't actually wearing a costume...at least, not intentionally on her part. She looked cute though, she was working those go-go boots. :)

So, my day consisted of being pissed in my first class, lunch and watching the latest episode of "Heroes" with Liz online, second class cancelled (but am a little worried that they were elsewhere and I wasn't listening to an announcement about the alternative rendezvous), reading a mile long chapter for class, rushing home (as fast as is possible on public transport anyway), frantically sewing foam glow-in-the-dark bones to Mister's costume, a wonderful spree of trick-or-treating in two different neighborhoods (on opposite sides of town), a pit stop for hot chocolate (yummy), coming home to help kids with homework, and finally cuddling with both until they fell asleep. What a long,varied, and ultimately wonderful day. I mean, how can you top all that? It was really great! I love Halloween. I will be posting some costume pics on my myspace page for all to see (those on my friend list anyway). If you have a myspace, shoot me a friend request. I love to share pics and all our happenings.

I am now sitting in my somewhat chilly living room, waiting for the fireplace to do its job, and sort of putting off my homework. I have to say that as hard as it can be sometimes and as stressed as I may get with school and home, I really love my life.

Happy Halloween

We've survived the Halloween celebrations thus far. Kind of funny that Halloween hasn't even come yet. The kids had three parties this weekend...a friend one, a school one, and a church one. Due to two midterms last week, I gave in and bought the kids' costumes instead of making them. I am, however, making some adjustments to Mister's costume. He is a knight, but wanted to be a skeleton knight. So, we found a skeleton costume that I could use to make the adjustments. I also painted the bones so they glow in the dark. Tiny is a penguin and we found a cute, warm costume for her. I was suprised though that the largest size they had was up to 6x and, even as small as she is, it barely fit her. I felt like a real failure for a few moment about having to buy instead of create their costumes. But I got over it when I saw how the kids didn't mind and were pretty content with their costumes.

I remember Halloween being one of my fav holidays. I mean, when else can you knock on the doors of complete strangers (and as many as you want), say three words, and get a ton of candy completely free. And all you have to do is dress up. A lot of kids aren't even working very hard at that anymore. I've seen some older kids looking like they just put on the rattiest clothes in their closet and put some red paint on their faces (blood, I guess). It's a little disappointing. We used to dress up and hit the streets as soon as the street lights came on. We would then find it a personal challenge to see how many streets we could cover in a single night. My dad was a good sport about it until we were old enough to go it alone.

At the moment, I am watching a show on HGTV titled "Reel Houses, Reel Scary". It's about the houses that have been used in scary movies. Muy interesante. I always thought the house in "Scream" wasn't real, like a soundstage. But it is a beautiful house, next to a vineyard. Did you know that the houses in the original "Nightmare on Elm Street" and "Halloween" are on the SAME street?!? And of course the house of the boyfriend on "Elm Street" is there too. These houses are really beautiful. Being the movie nut that I am, I'm loving it.

Give me a finished midterm, a good movie and some candy

I've been getting by lately with semi-posts...all the videos and trailers. I just finished a take home midterm that is due in the morn and I had forgotten about until this morn. I feel pretty good about it though. Cross your fingers for me cause I didn't do so well on my last paper in there. I am also stressing out a little cause I just realized that I need to cram a whole lot of Spanish in the next couple of months if I have any hope of surviving in the Spanish class I am required to pass for graduation. If I don't pass it, I don't graduate and then I don't get into grad school this summer and I will have to wait another whole year to reapply. Totally sucks. I've got some serious work to do. Not to mention that I still need to take two entrance exams very soon and I have yet to study for them. I'm SO looking forward to our next break. Tomorrow I will unfortunately have to miss the kiddos next to last soccer game in order to join a study group for a test in grammar on Wednesday that I am very unprepared for. Anyone wanna trade for a bit?

Movie-wise (yeah, like I'm going to stop watching movies altogether in the midst of my stress breakdown), I watched "Casanova" the other night for the first time. It has Heath Ledger (mmm, sexy) in it and Oliver Platt (teehee, funny). I was somewhat surprised with how much I enjoyed it. It reminded me of the comedic banter of "The Importance of Being Earnest" and "Oscar". Anyways, definite recommend for a laugh.

Story: We were leaving church yesterday and were saying goodbye to some folks. A woman came up to H and said "so, you're expecting a new one, huh?" H asked her "a new what?" and she indicated that she thought I was pregnant. He told her "not that I'm aware of". I felt bad mainly cause I know she felt bad about it. But I just laughed it off. We got home and were chatting about it. We came to the agreement that with my gained weight and the dress I was wearing, I did indeed look pregnant. If that's not a hint to lose a few pounds, I don't know what is. Looks like I'll be busy worrying about food and exercise as well. Some people lose weight when they are stressed...too bad I don't. I go straight for a soda and a bag of candy. It never made a difference when I was younger but definitely seems to nowadays. Older, slow metabolism, that sort of thing. Not sure yet if I like getting older.

A little blip

So, life is pretty good right now. School is getting a bit old, but that's normal halfway through the semester. It's still bearable though. The kids are doing well in school. I love helping them with their homework when we all get home. It's my one on one time with them and I know that I'm playing an important part in their learning. If they pass a spelling test on Friday (which they've been doing a lot lately), I know that I had something to do with that. It makes me feel essential in their growth and lives. I will also be helping the PTA (which I am not a member of) with the Halloween carnival decorations next week. Because of school, I'm often not able to volunteer regularly. So, it will be nice to contribute in a small way.

H just secured a house for some clients and will be closing in about a week. It's always nice to have regular business coming his way. Halloween is fast approaching and I have yet to begin costumes. It might be a good thing though, because the kids just changed their minds again about what they want to be. Tiny now wants to be a penguin and Mister, I can't remember. Will update that later. I'm still not sure if H and I will be dressing up. The thought crossed my mind of having a Halloween party...just a few close friends and some fam. Don't know if it will happen though cause the Saturday before Halloween will be full of carnivals for the kiddos at their school and at church. Will think on it some more. Have to head to class soon, so I will write more later.

My Latest Creation

This is my latest creation...a baby blanket for my new niece. She was born like a week and a half ago. She is my little brother's first child and I wanted to make something really special for her. It took about three days to make this and it was the most work I've done on a baby quilt so far. I hand-sewed the little flowers on the square corners and the ones on the corners of the blanket. The rest was machine stitched. Every other square is a purple square with tulle covering it and loose flowers in between. This is a design I came up with a couple of years ago and I try to make each blanket a little different. On the last ones, I just used loose flower petals and this time, I left the flower intact. I hope they like it and I just thought I would share this with you. I really love when I can do these and don't get to do them as much as I would like.

Another Weekend

Unlike many Saturdays, I actually accomplished something today. I started cleaning the living room and ended up rearranging the whole room. I've been wanting to do it for a while, but finally had the chance. It felt really good to sit in my "new", clean room afterwards. I like to rearrange regularly, it makes it feel like a whole new room, like I even have new furniture.

Other than that, my weekend has consisted of getting to go dancing and play pool with H last night followed by breakfast at Denny's, renting movies tonight, a trip to the grocery store, and gorging myself with Reese's Pieces. Sounds like a success so far. I still need to do a lot of homework tomorrow after church. I'm supposed to start trying to arrive to church early so that I can help set up the room for Sunday school and to greet the ladies as they come in. I haven't made it to church on time in quite a while. Hope I can pull it off.

As far as school goes, I am now reading "The Jungle Book". I know, tough huh?! Things are going to start to get really hectic in the second half of the semester. So, I need to work to make sure that I stay on top of it all. Once I fall behind, it's really hard to get back into it. I will also be turning in my graduation application this week. It is odd to finally see the end in sight. However, this end is also the beginning of more school...grad school. So, I will also be talking to the academic advisor about all the fun grad school apps, letters of recommend, and entrance exams. Boy, I'm excited! ;]

Weekend Spent

I have been notified by McSomethingkins that I am very late in my posting. I find this somewhat amusing since her comments on here have been few and far between. But I understand why. I mean, we're all in school and that's is a full time job in itself and she also works. So, who has time to post. For example, I should be doing a paper that is due tomorrow morning instead of catching others up on my life. Oh well. I had planned on being more on top of things this weekend until I had a surprise trip sprung on me late Friday night. H came into the living room at about 10:30 pm Friday night with the idea of going one state over to see his family for the weekend. Saturday was the bday of one of his sisters and he wanted to surprise her. He rarely asks for such a big thing and we were headed out at about midnight with the kids and his brother in tow. It was a fun trip over and he really enjoyed it.

We, however, didn't get back home until about 2:30 this morning. After unloading kids, luggage, and settling down, I didn't get to sleep until almost 4 am. Needless to say, we could not manage to drag ourselves out of bed this morning and the kids and I played hooky. I didn't know that it was Columbus Day and didn't feel so bad when I realized this. Everyone else is getting a day off, why not us students too? We had a parent-teacher conference with Tiny's teacher today. She is doing well, especially in her reading. We have Mister's conference tomorrow. I've been pretty impressed with his reading improvements in the last year. It would be weird for the kids of a bookworm to not have a reading appreciation. I hope I can pass that onto them.

Heroes

I officially love the new show "Heroes". I think it has a great imaginative storyline. It has sucked me in. Let me introduce you to some of the characters:

Hiro Nakamura--He is from Japan and is figuring out that he can bend time, which includes going back and forth through time. I think he is my favorite character because he is funny and somewhat childlike. So far, he has teleported to NY, 5 weeks into the future with the power of his mind. Upon arriving in NY, he passes a newstand and sees a comic book about his story. He tracks down the author/artist (Isaac Mendez is the name of that character). He finds Isaac dead (keep in mind that this is 5 weeks in the future), killed by a serial killer. When he is being questioned by the police, he realizes that he's in the future and they see a huge explosion in downtown NY. He concentrates and teleports back to Japan to the present.

Isaac Mendez--He is an artist that lives in NY and has realized that some of the paintings he has done while on drugs are depictions of future events (eg. a suicide bomber in Israel on a bus, the giant explosion in NY, and even some that pertain to other 'heroes'). He is also doing the comic book that seems to depict all the 'heroes'.

Peter and Nathan Petrelli--Brothers. Both live in NY. Nathan is an aspiring politician, a bit self-serving, and a hardball. Peter is his younger brother. He is a nurse at a nursing home and keeps having dreams of flying. He begins to doubt his possible power until he sees Isaac's painting of a flying man that looks like him. He decides to put it to the test and invites his brother to meet him in an alley. He is on the roof of the building and jumps. Falling half way down, Nathan flies up to catch him. They are both surprised and Nathan loses his grip on Peter. We find out later that before Peter hit the ground, he also flew. He is alive.

Claire Bennet--She is a high school cheerleader in the midwest that cannot die and heals immediately. She has tried to kill herself 6 times while a friend records it. She does not want anyone to know about it. Her father (adoptive) found the tape and seems to have a thus unexplained interest in the heroes and their abilities. The dad has been shown to be following around another character, Mohinder.

Mohinder Suresh--He is a genetics professor from India whose father was the same. His father had some sort of research that had to do with a test subject. Apparently, the dad went to NY in order to track down the test subject, known as Syler. He appears to be the serial killer aforementioned. Mohinder's father died mysteriously and moved to NY, rented the same apartment, and became a taxi driver (like his dad) in order to find and continue his father's research. Claire's father entered his taxi and began to ask questions that scared Mohinder away.

Matt Parkman--He is a police officer that wants to become a detective but can't pass the exam. While directing traffic at a murder scene, he hears the voice of a little girl saying, "Please don't hurt me." He follows the voice into the crime scene and locates the missing daughter of the victims in a crawl space. He was hearing her thoughts. The detectives are not satisfied with his explanation of hearing her whispering and arrest him.

Niki Sanders--Lastly is Niki. She is a single mom struggling to make ends meet and raise her son who is a genius sort. She owes money to the mob and is cornered by a couple of henchmen. When she is told to do some "favors", she 'blacks out". When she awakes, both the men are dead and the place looks like a slaughterhouse. She locks up the garage (where the scene is) and goes to pick up her son. A camera had been running during the 'black out' and she stops the car to watch it. When the violence begins, the camera turns static. The next thing she knows, four hours have passed unaccounted for from when she turned on the camera playback. Apparently, her "alter personality" (the person she sees in the mirror) set things up for her to dispose of all the evidence. It ends showing her digging a hole for the bodies in the middle of nowhere. While digging, she sees old bodies already buried. Makes you wonder if her "alter" is responsible for those too.

It seems that all these characters are going to end up coming together and have to work together to stop this predicted explosion in NY and help each other along the way. It's like a book that I don't want and can't put down. I can't wait for the next chapter.

Soccer and Cowboys (no, not the football team)

The weekend passes way too fast to accomplish much. Conference weekend also takes up more of the weekend and I accomplish much less. On the other hand, I do get to hear some great talks from church leaders and receive much inspiration and am uplifted. Pretty good trade off.

The kids had a soccer practice and game this week. At their practice, the city had two players from the local professional soccer team come out and teach the kids a few techniques. Half of the kids were in awe and the other half would have rather been practicing. Mister was one of the latter and Tiny, the former. She was excited to get their autographs and a poster. Their games also went well. Mister's team got a new player than does well handling the ball. So, they got some more points this time around. Tiny's team also got two new players. They are two little boys from Africa, one of which we know from church. Their whole family plays soccer and he really loves it. H asked the boy we knew what team he was on and he said that he didn't have the money to register for soccer. We know of his family's economic situation and asked them if they wouldn't mind us paying his fee so he could play. They agreed and the boy and his friend joined the team. We were also able to help him get shin guards and cleats.

Well, the boys had fun playing their first game and are pretty talented. After the game, the opposing coach approached H and told him that the boys were supposed to have been on his team. H asked why they hadn't been put on his team and the coach said that he told the boys they would have to pay the fee if they wanted to play. H told him that they wouldn't have been able to pay it, so he did so the boys could play. The guy then actually had the gall to tell H that he was teaching the boys that they could get a free ride and wouldn't have to be responsible to pay for things. What a pretentious, elitist butthead! It infuriated me that the guy didn't look past himself and realize that the love these boys have for the game outweighs the ability to for out money for it. The ref told H that he was right and the other guy was in the wrong. It's just sad. I am glad they can play anyway.

School is going okay. I'm still a little behind in some reading and I have my first test on Monday in Grammar. I finished reading Fight Club a few days ago. It had good writing and an interesting plot twist, but it was amazingly graphic. Just so you know, I never watched the movie so I didn't know what to expect. Don't know if I mentioned before, but I also finished V for Vendetta and watched the movie. I highly recommend both.

Fun stuff: I got to go on a date with my husband last night. We went dancing and it's been a while since we last did. FYI, we went to a country/western club with a live band and it was fun. We played a lot of pool and danced to some fav songs. Just a warning: if you are one of those people that arrive at the club at 7:00pm for the line dance class and then proceed to line dance to every song for the rest of the night.....you should probably look for other weekend activities every once in a while. Some of them don't even look like they're having fun while they're doing it. Like zombies or robots. And of course, there were the expected regulars there: the middle-aged, big-haired blond with a tiny shirt and tight jeans, the mentally unstable metalheads with their adoring chics, the big-bellied cowboy in really tight wranglers, and band that keeps telling the crowd to say "hell yeah". The band was okay, but most of the songs all sounded alike. And the DJ played some odd selections, but there was a live band, a pool table, and my guy to dance me around the floor. It was great.

My New Hair (no, not a wig)

Before
This was taken a while back
and is longer than the real before.





















After
It was risky, but I was too
bored with it to care.

Femmes Mortes

Just wanted to post the link for a website I did. This was the final project for an British/French poetry class I took last semester. I did all of the content and had the help of my wonderful H to put it all into a functional website. I focused on the use of the image of dead women in art and literature. Hope you enjoy it.

Femmes Mortes

Tiny's Haircut

Before


















After
















My Tiny wanted a real haircut because she felt that her hair was getting too long for her taste. I figured that it made sense since she is playing soccer now and it is also taking longer to detangle in the mornings. With her daddy's permission, I set up an appointment for her with the gal that does my hair. After putting it into a ponytail, it was slowly cut. I was then handed a ponytail about 8 inches long of her beautiful, soft hair. I actually felt a pang in my gut when it was cut. It didn't hurt that her hair was going to be much shorter. It was that my little girl was sitting in a salon, deciding what haircut she wanted (not my decision, hers), and seeing the hair that I brushed, washed and caressed since she really was tiny being cut off. It was almost like her babyhood was coming off. She is growing and becoming very much her own individual person. While I am proud, I am also sad. I hope that I can always take part (even in some small way) in moments such as these. It will probably always hurt a little to see them grow and become more independent, but I love who they are becoming and know it will be okay.

Dislike "like" and Commuting Etiquette

I sat in my children’s lit class today and we were discussing Alice in Wonderland, the first four chapters anyway. There was a girl that was sitting a little bit in front of me and she was interjecting some interesting points into the conversation. However, I can’t remember what she said because I was distracted by her repetitive use of the word “like”. By the end of her point, its use was rampant and maddening. By her second sentence, my mind was only picking up the word “like” and it must have taken up at least a third of what she was saying. I know that I use it myself from time to time, but I have found lately that it bothers me greatly. I think that if a class was instructed to pay close attention to what they say and try hard to eliminate this word from their conversation, it would be a lot harder than they would think. I did this experiment on myself once after ranting to a friend about this dislike and realized that even I use it more than I realize. Try it the next time you are in a conversation and see what happens.

This morning, I was on the train to school and it was getting pretty packed in there. I had the thought of writing etiquette guidelines for commuting on the train or campus shuttle buses and having it printed in the U paper. While in London, I got to see firsthand the proper way to commute on a train or bus with 50 million other people during rush hour. We could catch the tube on the way to school during the morning commute and even if the train was stuffed to the gills, people would still try to sandwich in more so you had a chance of getting in and not getting stuck in the doors. Great blokes, they are! You could have your face in someone’s armpit, but still be satisfied that everyone is aboard and on their way. I saw teenagers sit in each others laps, backpacks and suitcase placed between legs to make more body room, and people scrunching together in proximities that one would never dare in any other setting. But everyone made room and all commuted happily.

Here in our great city, it’s another story. I have surmised that the lack of proper commuting etiquette is due to the near infancy of our transit system. NYC and London have had their subway systems for decades and seem to have mastered, on most days, the art of communal commuting. We simply lack the experience. When a new group of people enter a crowded train, everyone in the car should do their best to use every inch to the best advantage of everyone else in the train. Large backpacks should be placed low, preferable on the floor between your legs when standing in the aisles. Laps should be utilized when sitting for shopping bags, purses, and backpacks. The idea is to try to make yourself as small as possible and stick yourself in a corner so others may be able to fit in too. When you enter the train car or a bus and you know that there are people behind you, you need to take an available seat quickly. DO NOT stand in the aisle trying to debate where you should sit, just sit. If seating is unavailable, you should walk down the aisle as far as it can take you, find a place to stand and make room for others. DO NOT walk for a few feet and then stop and claim that space as yours and refuse to go further. There are an unknown number of people behind you that still need to enter the train and find a spot for themselves. Also, subsequent stops will only add to the group, so move it along and share the space.

And how about a discussion on manners? If you see any of the following enter the train: disabled individuals, anyone 30 years or more your senior, a pregnant woman, a parent with young children, or a family that would like to sit together, GIVE UP YOUR SEAT if you are young, healthy, and perfectly able to stand. It’s only common courtesy…you know, that stuff your mom tried to teach you for years. Think if she were watching, she’d be so proud. I could extend this to men giving up their seat to a woman, but that may be asking too much of some people today.

So, what do you think? Think I should submit this to the paper?

Happy Happy Joy Joy, Happy Happy Joy

Why am I so happy, you ask?! I got a new sewing machine...one from this decade! I bought it off of craigslist today and have only used it for about an hour, but I am very satisfied. The new machine is only a few years old and was hardly used. It's only about 13 lbs, which I love considering the old one weighed about 30 lbs and could throw out your whole body if swung slightly while being carried. A few clues to its age are that it was my mom's first real machine and it's pink and turquoise. I'm sad to see something with that much history come to its end, but I sure do love the convenience of the new one. I did some work on a quilt I had started when my old machine died its excruciating death. It felt so good to sew. I forgot how much I enjoy it. I will now be working on the many baby quilts I had planned. The first baby is due in a couple of weeks, so I better get cracking. Also, Halloween costumes are just around the corner.

The weather has been exceptionally wet and abruptly cold lately. This is proof that there really is no fall around here, just hot to storm to cold. There is even snow in the mountains. I can tell that the family is itching to hit the slopes. The snowboard equipment is sitting eagerly in the corner awaiting use.

School: Going good. Still a little behind on the incredibly dry theory reading, but no worries. Also need to read more chapters for grammar class. I just finished V for Vendetta (the graphic novel) and also watched the movie. I highly recommend both. Today I started Fight Club and though the material is more raw than I prefer, it has still sucked me in and I look forward to reading it. Tonight, I will also start Alice in Wonderland. I have to admit that I have never actually read the full story. I have read an abridged version and saw that cartoon ages ago. I also look forward to this read. In theory, I am reading some chapters out of a book titled Simulacra and Simulation. Although it can be dry and thick at times, there are some interesting points and theories along the way...enough to keep me reading. I finished House on Mango Street last week in one day. It is a short read, but packs a lot of events and emotion in each small chapter. I think that I will have read more this semester than any other...and I'm enjoying every minute of it.

Kids: First games tomorrow. They got their new shirts yesterday and will get their socks at the games. They are in two different age groups but, incidentally, got the same color uniform; gold. Thankfully the sizes are different or they would have been arguing over which is theirs each game day. They seem to get better with each practice and I look forward to seeing them running up and down the field in their uniforms. I'm a sucker for a uniform.

A taste of winter and car chases

Boy, it got cold the last few days. It is our first taste of the coming winter and I can tell that it's going to be a cold one. Then again, I'm a desert girl and shiver at the first sign of cold. I was wearing two shirts and one sweater yesterday and I think the temp was only in the 50s. Just wait until it's January and 20 degrees. FUN! I'm ready to fire up the fireplace and the furnace right now.

Us LonDolls had a girls' night on Friday, to which only three of the five were able to attend. We still had fun though. We went to a game store where you can play whatever game they already have open. They have a lot of tables set up for people to come in, get comfortable, and play for a while. We played a game called "Mystery at the Abbey". It's a lot like Clue but involves monks, a murder, and a monastery. After we got the rules down, it was a lot of fun. We played three games in which Mody and I found out just how competitive Trippy really is. We then went out to eat some french toast for me and Mody and a chicken sandwich for Trippy. It was a good night out. Hey Mody....PANINI!

Then the night changed after I got home. After H and the kids got back from the video store, we noticed a strange man walking around near the moving company down the street. We watched him for a while and he opened the door of the company's moving truck which, he seemed surprised at, was unlocked. He noticed us watching him and proceeded to walk up and down the street saying that he was looking for a friend. Convinced that he was leaving, we went inside. I tried to look out for him through the window and didn't see him again. However, a few minutes later, we heard the truck fire up and tear off down the street. H and I knew that he had just stolen the moving truck. So, H jumped in the car to see where he was going and I called 911. I reported what had happened and then H tried to call me on the other line on my cell. That's when I learned that if you're on a 911 call, it won't let you answer the other line. So, I called him from our landline and had the 911 operator on one ear and H on the other.

He told us that the guy was driving up the interstate and was driving erratically. We found out later that he was driving that way to see if he was actually being followed, and figured out pretty quickly that he was. After leaving the interstate, he began to make many turns through residential neighborhoods and each turn was being relayed to the dispatcher. H said that he had run out of road and was in a dead end. Being 3/4 of a block behind him, he waited to see what the guy was going to do. He told us that he had stopped and turned off his lights. H could hear the cops but couldn't see them yet. Just then, the guy did a u-turn and gunned it straight for H in his car. H quickly got turned around and drove as fast as he could, even through stop signs, with the truck on his tail and the pedal to the floor. They ended up back on the interstate overpass bridge where the light was red. H knew that if he stopped, he would be slammed by the truck and if he didn't, that he would cause an accident. He decided to stop and slammed on his brakes and skidded. The truck did the same and as soon as he could, H did a u-turn. That was when the cops came along and pulled the guy over.

I was relaying all the info to the operator and wasn't thinking much about worrying until H told me that the guy was then chasing him and was trying to run him off the road. That's when my heart skipped a beat and I just wanted him out of the way of the truck and safe. My breath was stuck in my chest and I didn't really let it out until he told me that the cops had the guy and he wasn't in danger anymore. Later, a cop came and took H's statement and by then, his adrenaline had worn off and was freaking out just a bit himself. We couldn't believe what had just taken place. When it began, we didn't even really think, we just reacted. I'm thankful that he had the sense of calm at the needed moment and the skill to outrun that truck. If he didn't, his car would have been no match for that moving truck. Even now, thinking about it, my chest aches with fear. Well, it turns out that the guy had drug paraphenalia on him and was most likely high at the time. H was uncomfortable with the idea that a random guy was walking down our street, high on drugs, and looking to burglarize or steal something. We found out though that the guy actually had a connection to one of the business' employees and it wasn't random at all. After scouting the truck, he had broken into the office and stolen the keys. That's why I didn't see him out of the window, because he was in the office.

So, that was a wild event that I hope we never have to relive. But we are always willing to do what we can to help our neighbors and keep people like that out of our neighborhood. I just hope that we will always be that blessed with safety and have God's loving protection over us.

Called on account of rain...

Considering that I will always be writing about my family in this blog, I have taken PasstheZoloft's example and decided to assign nicknames to everyone. My husband will be known as H, my son will be Mister, and my daughter will be Tiny. That should be a bit easier.

Yesterday was supposed to be Mister's first soccer game and another practice for Tiny, but we had a doozy of a storm come through a couple hours before. I'm kind of glad for this because I didn't feel one practice was sufficient enought before the first game, especially for the kids who have never played before. So, the weekend lies before us and I am ready to use up every second of it. I have a good amount of reading to catch up on, mostly in theory because the texts are as dry as unbuttered toast in a parched mouth. How's that imagery for you?! Anyways, it's hard to get through and sometimes a bit painful. On top of that, I need to do housework that I let slip during the week. This week has been a tiring one. For the first time, I don't feel overwhelmed with my school work and classes, but this semester is demanding more of me physically than ever before. My bag is heavier, I walk a lot more, and I do extra commuting on the train in order to volunteer. By the time I get home after 3 pm, I have just enough energy to sit down, help the kids with their homework (which I really enjoy), and then I'm trying to stay awake by then. To make matters worse, I don't start my homework until they kids are in bed and I stay up pretty late. Thankfully, I had a loving husband that will make the occasional dinner and help with the kids. He's pretty amazing! Each day, I look at him at least once and wonder how I got so lucky.

I am already getting a bit lazy on my workout too. I will try to pick it back up today and keep at it. I would really like to feel better and feel that I look better too. I will be trying out a new cooking technique this week. I plan to follow some advice I've received and will be planning out the week's dinners in advance. Not only that, but I will also buy everything needed for the meals and preparing the meals in advance. I will spend the better part of Saturday shopping and preparing these meals, and then storing and freezing them. They will then be ready for someone to choose what they want, unwrap it, and pop it in the oven for cooking or reheating. Ta Da...dinner! I hate when it's 6pm and I haven't even thought about what to make and I see that everyone is getting hungry...not to mention the fact that I dislike cooking to begin with. I hope this will help relieve some of that pressure and will be a better solution than eating out 5 days a week, which has happened a lot more lately than I care to admit. It'll definitely be cheaper. I'll let you know how all that works out.

Dreading: I have realized that we will need to replace our stairs sooner than later. I don't know how old they are, but the steps are getting cracks in them and I don't fancy my foot falling through one morning. I should say that I am completely DIY challenged and H is usually too busy to do that stuff. He says it wouldn't be a very hard job, but I think it will take more time than anything and I hate having to stare at unfinished projects, being the cursed perfectionist that I am. Hopefully all that turns out well. We did decide thought that his beloved Zolatone paint will have to go (it's a painting and texturing technique that gives it a faux stone look). I know he really likes it, but I have caught a glimpse of the natural wood molding and am excited to restore it. It's a dark wood.

Well, I have put off my homework long enough. Better get to it.

Official Soccer Mom, Geek, and Bodybuilder

Well, I am an official mom now. I have become a soccer mom...minus the minivan. I prefer my Benz. Both of my kiddos are in soccer and today was their first practice. Neither of them have had much exposure to the game but really enjoyed themselves. My son's first game will already be on Thursday and my daughter has two more practices before her first. Hubby is coaching our daughters team and he managed to lose a kid during the first practice. They had a five minute water break and one boy didn't return. Hubby called his home phone after a few more minutes and they said that he had come home. We figured that he thought practice was over and were just glad that he was okay. That was a heart attack for us. It's like when you tell a kid to run home in baseball and they take it literally. Hubby had gotten the kids some shin guards and cleats the other day. He showed me my daughter's cleats and they were some of the tiniest ones I had ever seen. She would have gotten pink ones if they had any.

Here is something I thought I would never see...Jerry Springer ballroom dancing on tv. I have "Dancing the Stars" on and muted. I think if I ever voted on this, my favorite would have to be Mario Lopez...just because he's hot. Who cares if he can dance...have you see his dimples?! (Yes, the ones on his face!) There are a few new shows that I wouldn't mind seeing this fall, but will probably not have the time to. There's Ugly Betty, Men in Trees, Heroes, and maybe The Class and Shark. I will probably only end up watching one episode of each all year. But I do have my faithful shows CSI (original) and House. I just have to follow the drama of Grissom and Sara and also House's surly yet hilarious attitude. There was a show that was on tv last spring and I only caught one episode of it and unfortunately it was cancelled. It was called Teachers and I found it hilarious. It was, of course, about a group of teachers in a public high school and the dynamics between each other and with their students. Being the geek I am, I would like that show.


Well, I don't know if you recall a previous posting about how I wanted to try out an exercise video that I saw on an infomercial. (I know, already said that I was a geek. It should be understood that I watch infomercials at 2 am too.) Anyways, I had looked up reviews on it from REAL people that had tried it and really liked it. Well, I unscrewed my wallet and ordered it. I am on exercise day two. I actually started on Sunday and the beginner workout is only 24 minutes long. It was a good workout in that I did not pass out, was still able to breathe, got a good sweat going, and felt pretty good afterwards. The next day was another story. I woke up understandably sore, but it was doable. However, that changed as the day went on. By the end of the day, I wasn't walking much, stairs were a daunting task, and even sitting took a few groans. I, of course, did not work out yesterday...which is allowed as I only have to work out 6 days a week. I had no excuse today though because I don't think I can use next week's break too. But I have to say that I felt much better after today's workout. I will update you on my progress and results. Let me just say that I feel almost every muscle in my body...at least, the ones I use on a regular basis. I think that if it's sore, you're doing well; if it hurts, you did something wrong. Feel the burn...rahrr!

Where were you when the world stopped turning?

I remember when I heard about what happened on 9/11...as does everyone else. We were living in NM and my husband was still in the Air Force. I had just sent my son off for his second day of school and my husband's brother called to tell us that a plane crashed into the World Trade Center. We didn't have television at that time, so we turned on the radio. We listened to the news about it when the second one hit. That's when we knew that it wasn't an accident.

We dropped in on the neighbors and saw some of the images on their tv. The smoke was billowing out of the towers and I couldn't believe what I was seeing. After the Pentagon was hit, the base was put on high alert and the friend that took my son to school said that it took two hours to get back on the base. The base police were searching each car individually. It was like this for a while. The base personnel was also put on alert and told to prepare for anything, even deployment. It was very tense all over base, somber and heavy. I think people were walking around in a numb state for a while. I was nervous because I didn't know if my husband was going to be sent away. I was only 21 and had two little ones. I knew that this was the possibility when I married military. You can't be prepared for it, but you do your best.

Baseball in the Fall

Today was my first day of service learning (volunteering) at the ESL class. It was pretty interesting. The first class is a small one where the students (all adults) are learning the basics of speaking and writing English. The second class was much larger and they were learning to read. They had to change a paragraph from present tense to past tense and I was able to answer a lot of questions and give help where needed. I'm going to be trying to go three days a week for an hour a day. I will finish my 20 required hours in about 6-7 weeks. Chances are good that I may continue to volunteer after that though.

School is going well. I think this is the first semester that I have really enjoyed all of my classes. Theory can be a snoozer, but has its moments of interest. I do know, however, that I have no interest to pursue a career, let alone anymore classes, in the field of theory.

My son has decided to no longer take his acting class. He felt that it was taking up too much of his time and I don't think he enjoyed it enough to stick to the time commitment. I suggested taht maybe he would like to check out a theater acting class as opposed to the film acting that he was doing. He seems more interested in that and we may check out a class soon. I want to be a parent that opens up such opportunities to try out and see what they might take an interest in. I had to make sure that he was quitting the class for a real reason that he had given some thought to and not just because he didn't want to go that day. I think my kids will be more well-rounded and willing to try new things if I create these opportunities and chances for them. They will be starting soccer next week and my husband will be coaching one of the teams. This should be interesting since neither of them have ever played soccer and I'm not very knowledgeable about it myself. My son has played baseball before. Speaking of, I will be playing intramural softball this semester. I figured that I needed something to keep me physically active since I haven't been to the gym in ages...I also really like baseball.

BIG NEWS! I have a friend, Hobby, that was planning to attend grad school in England in less than a month and has changed her plans. After much prayer and thought, she has decided to not move across the big pond alone for a year. I'm sad and happy. Happy cause I would miss her like crazy and sad cause she now feels directionless. I keep telling her that something is in the works and there is a path already laid out that she just needs to be patient enough to find in time. I know how she feels though. Riding on only faith and hope can be hard and scary. I love her and she will do well in anything she does.

BIGGER NEWS! Nope, can't really be specific. But it involves a close friend and the sound of bells surrounded by white?! Any ideas!?

Well, better go for now...got a softball meeting.

The Funniest of All

I found this on dribbleglass.com under the section for funny photos. The funniest part of it all? This is in my hometown, on the outskirts. I recognized it immediately. How random is that?!

Here and There

Please excuse the lack of Joke of the Day yesterday. Been a little here and there lately. Exciting news: I will be doing some teacher's aiding at an alternative school with a class of adult student that are just learning the read and write English. Hope it works out well. The teacher I was assigned to is supposed to be pretty great.

MAN OF THE HOUSE
The husband had just finished a book titled, "Man of the House." He stormed into the house and walked right up to his wife. Pointing a finger in her face, he said, "From now on, I want you to know that I am the man of this house, and my word is law! I want you to prepare me a gourmet meal tonight, and when I'm finished eating my meal, I expect a sumptuous dessert afterward. Then, after dinner, you're going to draw me a bath so I can relax. And, when I'm finished with my bath, guess who's going to dress me and comb my hair?" "The funeral director?" said his wife.

New Poems

Silence

Silence sighed hastily in the corner.
Patience was not a virtue for her.
The room’s dark colored the space between us.
What do you say to silence?
Would she disappear?

I have the instincts of a lemur, so I should’ve seen this coming.
Last night, I sat in the station when Tom introduced me to Silence.
We waited for the train that was late due to traffic.
Who knew traffic occurred on train tracks?
Perhaps it wasn’t late, it just seemed to last forever.

Silence wore too much bling, in my opinion.
The shimmering stars of the oblivion winked down at us.
Silence sat heavily between me and Tom.
That’s the night that the lights went out in Georgia.
Or maybe they were only out at the 9th Street station.
Tom seemed pretty comfortable in the dark with Silence.

She had a “je ne sais quois” that eluded me.
So, now we sit in my room, pictures of Tom cover every wall.
How could he give me this treatment?
Silent, I sit while Silence sighs hastily in the corner.


Good Morning to You

I come from a modest household.
Green grass, white house, painted smiles.
Milk is brought to the door and laid by the news.
The used bottle set out the night before lays shattered on the porch.

I lie on my cot, shivering in the early heat.
I hear bacon sizzling in the hot fat, splattering her apron.
Dishes clink on the table harder than usual.
Another day in hell has begun.

So I followed her tall full body down the hall.
The heat of the stove glues the sweaty, oily apron to her.
The table is pregnant with eggs, toast, pancakes, and juice.
More food than usual…It’s going to be a really bad day.

Take a Guess

Can you guess who this is?

Kiss me, I'm Irish!

TOMBSTONE
Three tipsy Irishmen were in a cemetery, searching for the oldest person buried there. One of the men, Shamus, yells out, "Here's a fella that died when he was 145 years old!" "What was his name?" asks Paddy. Shamus lights a match to see what else is written on the stone marker, and exclaims, "Miles, from Dublin."

In Memoriam

Rest in Peace, Steve Irwin. Crocodile Hunter. 44 years old.

Husband to Terri, Father to Bindi and Bob, Educator to Many.

Some people make such a large mark in the world that when they depart it,

it is felt by all.

God Bless You and Your Family.

A little tipsy

Almost forgot the Joke of the Day!

LEANING OVER
One evening a family brings their frail, elderly mother to a nursing home and leaves her, hoping she will be well cared for. The next morning, the nurses bathe her, feed her a tasty breakfast, and set her in a chair at a window overlooking a lovely flower garden. She seems fine, but after awhile she slowly starts to lean over sideways in her chair. Two attentive nurses immediately rush up to catch her and straighten her up. Again she seems fine, but after awhile she starts to tilt to the other side. The nurses rush back and once more bring her back upright. This goes on all morning. Later the family arrives to see how the old woman is adjusting to her new home. "So, Ma, how is it here? Are they treating you all right?" they ask. "It's pretty nice," she replies. "Except they won't let you fart."

An extra one for tomorrow:

LONG SERVICE
Two little old ladies were attending a rather long church service. One leaned over and whispered, "My butt is going to sleep." "I know," replied her companion, "I heard it snore three times."

Saturday, what a day, groovin' all week with you!

It's a comfortable Saturday at home and I can breathe a bit. I had to write two papers yesterday and my brain was exhausted afterwards. So, now I am watching one of my fav movies on tv..."You've Got Mail". I'm not sure what the appeal of it is for me because it's technically classified as a love story. Not usually my thing, except for the occasional love film every ten years. But I love how it depicts New York, so romanticized and charming. The parks, the little shops, the markets, and the beautiful architecture. I think that I would really like NY and hope to find out soon. NY and Venice are my first top choices for family vacations.

I think another appeal is the literary angle of the movie. The main character owns a children's bookstore, the man of interest is the CEO of a bookstore corporation, another woman is an editor, another man is a journalist, and so on. I think that would be my niche in NY...the literary world. I even watched "Renaissance Man" with Danny DeVito earlier today because they were discussing Shakespeare's Hamlet. How nerdy am I? But it fills my soul when surrounded by literature and it intrigues me to see the many different ways to teach and share its beauties with others. Everyone should be introduced to at least one great book, whether they eventually love it or hate it. At least they had been exposed to something that made them think and will always be a part of who they are. I know...I'm getting a bit heavy. But I have a real passion for the written word. There's nothing like a good book transporting to you to another life, time, and place. I love it.

So, I have a friend that I have known for a while that is in a serious (I hate using that word, it implies a lack of fun) relationship. They seem to be sure that marriage is in the future for them. I find it fascinating to watch this unfold. I have never actually seen a friend fall in love. She is one of my best friends and yet I also feel a maternal protectiveness towards her. I have seen her go from a carefree dating machine to a committed, smitten girlfriend. I'm somewhat amazed and in awe of this sequence of events. I worry about if she is completely sure of it, if she has seen the future without the rose-colored glasses. I know that I had no idea what I was getting into when I married. When people marry (without the trial period of living together), they really can't anticipate the work, the humility, and the patience that is required, even in the happiest of marriages. However, I also know that it is very worth the effort. Maybe it's a good thing that newlyweds don't have such insight, or they would change their minds. I just sit on worry pins when I think of her, and hope for the best, like I know I will do when my children fall in love...when they're in their 30's. ;)

Winnie the Who?

Here is the new Joke of the Day. Will do more posting later.

BIG PEOPLE WORDS
A group of kindergarteners were trying very hard to become accustomed to the first grade. The biggest hurdle they faced was that the teacher insisted on "no baby talk." "You need to use 'big people' words," she was always reminding them. She asked Chris what he had done over the weekend. "I went to visit my Nana." "No, you went to visit your grandmother. Use 'big people' words. She then asked Mitchell what he had done. "I took a ride on a choo-choo." She said, "No, you took a ride on a train. You must remember to use 'big people' words." She then asked little Alec what he had done. "I read a book," he replied. "That's wonderful!" the teacher said. "What book did you read?" Alec thought real hard about it, puffed out his chest with great pride and said, "Winnie the Crap."

A laugh a day keeps everyone coming back for more

I have stumbled on a website with an endless list of pretty good jokes. So, I will now be implementing a "Joke of the Day" on this blog. Each day (or the days that I have time to do more than check my email and rush off to class), I will post a joke that I have enjoyed and wish to spread the joy to you. Consider it a gift from me to you...sure, it's intangible and cheap, but what more can you ask for than a good laugh. Hope you enjoy it too. Just a warning...the jokes may not always be very PC or even PG, but it has to be funny enough for me to overlook that. Here's the first:

FRIENDSHIP
When it comes to friendship, here's what happens. If a woman doesn't come home to her husband one night, and the next day she tells him she slept over at a friend's house, the man calls his wife's 10 best friends and none of them know anything about it. If a man doesn't come home to his wife one night, and the next day he tells her he slept over at a friend's house, she calls her husband's 10 best friends-eight of them say he did sleep over, and two claim he's still there.

Texting, IMing, and Emails...Oh my!

I was sitting in my first class today next to a girl that had a Dell laptop. There were only three people in class with these wonders of technology on our desktops and I was one of them. So, I struck up a conversation with her. Not that I only conversate with those that own a laptop...that's pretty elitist. Anyways, she was telling me that she had a professor that banned the use of laptops in class because some of the other students complained about them. I thought that was odd and counter-productive for some students, seeing that nowadays, most students type faster than they write. However, I began to understand this professor's decision about halfway through class. I glanced over at this girl's screen and noticed that she was simultaneously taking notes, IMing, emailing, and text messaging. Her phone would vibrate about every 3 minutes with a new text message and her hands were typing a million miles an hour with the many things she was trying to do at once. It was pretty distracting. Thankfully, we were in the back row (yes, I'm one of those slackers in the back row) and the prof didn't notice or we would have been banned from laptop use also. Please people...don't abuse the privilege.

In this day and age of technology, we can type notes in class and look up important info on the subject at the same time. With cell phones, we can contact most anyone at anytime needed. And we can even do all this hands free. If you can't do any of this without offending others (like the person on the cell phone driving 10 miles under the limit, you know who you are!), DON'T DO IT! Now, I do talk on my phone while driving...however, I try to avoid it when driving a stick shift. But the difference is that I have the ability to do so. I can chat, check my blind spot, signal, and stay on the speed limit all at the same time. I CAN do it, so I do. I want to invent a bumper sticker that says something to the effect of "If you can't do two things successfully at once, DON'T!" There will be a picture of a cell phone next to it...and maybe some other things that people try to do, like putting on makeup or reading a map. I was told that applying makeup while driving in California is called "farting" or "farding". Correct me on which it is if you know. I thought that was an appropriate name for it. Life and it's scenery distract me enough while I am driving, I don't need to be worrying about how my mascara looks (probably why I don't wear any...too high maintenance).

Funny sidenote:
I noticed that my grammar prof has named each lesson. One of them is titled "I wish I was a little bit taller." Instantly, I was transported back to the mid 90's and a song that went..."I wish I was a little bit taller. I wish I was a baller. I wish I had a girl that looked good, I would call her. I wish I had a rabbit in a hat with a bat and a 6-4 Impala." It just popped right into my head like I had heard it yesterday. It is a song called "I Wish" by Skee-Lo from back in my junior high days. I had to look it up to find out the title and artist. But, oh what a memory trip back to feathered bangs and baggy jeans with a tight top.

I can't believe the 80's fashions are coming back. I mean, didn't we learn the first time? I remember having a conversation on recycled fashion and swearing to never revisit the 80's. But, here we are, minus me, thankfully. Let's hope that rolled down socks, jellies shoes, and the side ponytail stay where they are...in the 80's graveyard. Well, maybe not jellies. :)

Anniversary...the wedding birthday

Today is our 7th wedding anniversary. I remember that our first year was the toughest. I think it was hard because we only knew each other for 4 months before we married. I can say with happiness that every year has been better than the last. Through all the ups and downs, I can still say that he is the best person I know and that I'm thankful that he is my best friend through it all. We went out to dinner, just the two of us last Friday at a steakhouse and then we went for a ride on his motorcycle. I love riding on the back of his bullet bike, it makes me feel like when we started dating. We also browsed around Barnes and Noble for awhile. I could live in a bookstore and never grow bored (I know...I'm a nerd). Then, today, we took the kids to eat at a buffet restaurant. Any day that someone cooks besides me is a good day.

We then went to rent movies. Holly picked one we've seen before called "Millions". It's about a boy that sees and talks to saints and finds a bag of money and looks for ways to use it for the good of others. It's really good and also inspirational.

School has been going really well. I think that it might wear me out though. I put the kids to bed last night and had to read a couple of chapters for my grammar class. When I finished, I was exhausted and wondered what time it was. I looked at the time and it was ONLY 10:30. I haven't been to bed that early in quite some time. The class that I am still worried about is my upper level theory class. It's taught by a prof that I had for the lower level theory class and I had such a hard time with it that I had to audit it instead. I am looking forward to my reading though. I just finished "Treasure Island" and was pretty entertained by it. Next, I need to reread "Songs of Innocence and Experience" by William Blake. I read it when we were in London and also had the privilege to view some etchings by Blake up close and personal at the Tate Britian. We also saw some sketches and paintings by William Turner and Rossetti.

Well, my mind is wandering to the movie and I probably won't make much sense if I keep on. Until later.

College...where many are killed for a parking spot

I have a new found hate for some aspects of college life. Today is the first day of classes and I was running late to begin with. I think that dream was a premonition cause I ended up wearing a comfy green shirt, my converses, and cute butt jeans that shouldn't usually be teamed with either the shirt or shoes. But I was late and didn't dwell on it much. I then missed the whole of my first class...doing what, you ask? FINDING A PARKING SPOT! There are about 7 permit lots (with too many spots for faculty, I might add) and about 4 pay lots. Even most of the illegal spots were taken. It was ridiculous. And there were the ever present campus cops just itching to write tickets in every lot. I have decided that I will NOT pay $120 for a parking permit that I will probably have few chances to actually utilize in a spot on campus or any where near classes. I had to take the last spot in the parking lot equivalent of the nosebleed section...nowhere near any of my classes on a hill that will be fun to hike up after school. I literally felt like ripping someone's head off and almost did. Some idiot (whom, with my luck, will be in one of my classes) drove around me and them cut me off to try to get a spot that he didn't end up getting (nyah nyah nah nah nah nah). I know, mature. I pulled up next to him and let him have it (minus the expletives I was thinking, bonus points for me). It didn't matter much since he was yelling at the same time. Such an idgit!

So, I had to meet my prof after class and play catch up. I did, however, see two of the most beautiful friends in the world. Love ya Mody and Nobby! That cheered me up. It is a half hour til my next class and I will be done for the day. I just might take a religion class just to get a parking spot there. I have plenty of time to kill between classes...wouldn't hurt me to do some spiritual learning too. Gotta love college...even if you don't.

So then I was running from the alligator in my underwear...

Here it is...the eve of a new semester. It is the gentle calm before the storm. It is that last peaceful moment that you know you should enjoy but are too anxious to and your insides are flipping around. I had a dream the other night about starting school and I realized that I have had that same dream everytime I am about to start school again, dating back to junior high. I'm back in my childhood bedroom and I am getting ready for the first day of school. So, I look through my closet for something to wear. I have tons of cute, never before seen outfits in my closet that I would kill for, but.....I CAN'T FIND A THING TO WEAR! I have all these cute options: miniskirts, long ribbed tanks in every color, great accessories, cute butt jeans, summery dresses...everything. But I can't seem to make any of it work together to form one decent outfit. So, I look through my mom's closet to see if I can find one thing to make it work. NOTHING! I even look in my brother's clothes (something I would never have done when I was younger, the smell in his room could repel for miles). STILL NOTHING! So, I am searching and trying on everything in the house. Keep in mind that this is the whole event of the dream, trying on clothes and growing more and more frustrated that I can't make anything work. I then realize that I am late. So, I rush to do everything else; brush teeth, comb hair, makeup, etc. I decide to try one more time to find something to wear and I am only able to mismatch and leave late. I have had that dream numerous times in my life and never really looked for meaning within it. I just figured that it was an expression of my anxiety over a new year or semester. Any Freudians out there? Got an interpretation for me?

Bad Things Happen When You Exercise

I neglected to mention that I did have a bit of exercise about a week ago. When my brother and his fam were visiting, we took them downtown to do a bit of sightseeing. We did not drive and instead walked and took the train around the city and that was more walking at one time than I've done in a while. Well, the next day, I began to notice a weird noise in my left knee when I would bend. Kind of a gross stretching noise...like tendons being pulled apart. It wasn't loud and didn't hurt, so I didn't worry. Unfortunately, my trip to the gym seems to have aggravated it a bit (not to mention that I did a deep bend a few times for my husband to hear it) and it's not only louder, but my knee is sore now too. I looked up the symptom on webMD and the possibilities were not fun to read. Hopefully, it's just a pulled muscle, or a pissed off muscle wondering why in the world I am attempting exercise after all this time. I don't blame it...the rest of my body was wondering too.

My son has acting class today and has to perform a convincing death in 60 seconds. He has chosen to die by poison and if he can keep from smiling, he is pretty good. I love to watch him succeed at it. It's great. While I was helping him, something happened that amazed me. I was giving him advice on his performance and he was listening to me. He wasn't cutting me off with, "I know, Mom. I know." I noticed this quickly and was almost stunned into silence. It was great to be able to help him with something that he was willing to listen and try. I think the class is helping him to be more open to suggestion and advice. When I pick him up from class, I sometimes get to watch his taped practices. Last time, they were practicing death scenarios and Bobby was in one by himself where he suddenly lost the feeling in his body and fell to the floor. After he had collapsed, the camera closed in on his face and he had a real look of fear and panic. It was too much for me to watch and to hear him calling for help from his mom and dad. I had to stop myself from crying...it felt so real.

When my daughter was about 2 years old, she was eating some bread and began to choke. Hubby was trying everything he had been trained to do in that situation, but she was still choking and began to flail. I was calling 911 and right when they picked up, her body went limp. By doing so, her throat relaxed enough for the food to come out since she was upside down. She began to breathe shallowly and we couldn't tell right away if she really was breathing. When we knew she was okay, the medics came and checked her out. She only had some petechiae around her eyes from the lack of oxygen. That was, without a doubt, the most terrifying moment of my life. I was praying and crying and wishing it was me and was willing to give up my own life without a second thought. I knew, right then, that the worst thing that could ever happen in my life is to lose one of my children or to see them suffer. I relived this when I was watching my son's performance. I may need to realize that I might not be able to watch him perform his own death. It might be too much to ask. But this also says a lot for his abilities...he sure had me convinced that he was dying. That's pretty good for such a little guy.

Exercise, ewww!

I went to the gym tonight for the first time in about 4 months, and it's been about 6 months before that. We have a membership to a gym but I hate having to get all ready, drive there, work out, drive home, and then change. It seems like extra time for just a one hour workout. And I usually can't find my workout clothes half the time which completely surpasses the acceptable time limit for workout preparation. So, I give up and find something to snack on. So, tonight I went, mostly because I was mad about something and needed to burn off energy. I did the treadmill and the elliptical and then I did some crunches. I'm sure I'll be feeling it in the morning.

On one of my late nights up watching tv, I saw an infomercial for a workout dvd set called Slim in 6. I believe that all the testimonials on those things are bogus and bull****. Wanna know why? Cause I have seen actors do them that I have seen before in low budget movies. So, you can't convince me that they stumbled on this great product between auditions for menial acting jobs and feel that they MUST promote this product that they really and truly believe in. Anyways, testimonials aside, I was intrigued by the exercises themselves. They looked like a workout class I had taken a few years back and had great results with. So, the next day I looked it up online and I also looked up reviews by REAL people on discussion threads. 95% of what I read about people trying the video workouts was pretty positive. These people had actually seen results with the workout and are still using them at least 3 days a week or more. This further peaked my interest and I am pretty convinced that I want to give it a try.

HOLD ON RIGHT THERE, YOU NAYSAYERS! One thing that I despise is when you are telling someone about your desire to lose a few pounds or to get in better shape and they tell you, "You don't need to worry about that. You're as skinny as a post. You're crazy! You think YOU need to worry about weight!" I HATE THAT! It drives me nuts. Obviously the person sharing these desires feels uncomfortable to some degree with the state of their bodies, weight, shape, or lack of toning to be sharing it with you. By saying these things, you are undermining their trust in your opinion and their perceptions and their goals. They are NOT saying, "Ugh, I'm a big fat cow and I don't deserve to live because I can't fit in a pair of size 0 jeans!" So, PLEASE, think before you belittle a person's opinion of their own body. I know...I'm hanging off the deep end right now. But it had to be said and there it is.

So, if I decide to do this workout plan, I will update you all on my progress. I wouldn't mind doing it to get more energy too...can't always be taking those afternoon naps, you know?!

Brandy

So I am sitting here at 10:30 pm and have just sent the kids to bed. I'm supposed to be getting them to bed earlier since school starts in a week but don't seem to be very successful. I'm pretty tired myself and think I will actually make it to bed tonight before midnight. I thought I would jot a few things on here before I do. I am listening to JackFM online and it is one of my fav radio stations. "Hotel California" is playing right now...how lucky am I?! I don't know why I feel the urgent need to stay up so late nowadays. When bedtime rolls around (anytime between 10 pm and 12 am), I'm watching tv or playing a comp game and my head says that I should go to bed. But my stubborn side says, "No, you don't HAVE to. Stay up a while longer." Then a while longer becomes 3 or 4 am. I drag myself to bed reluctantly and can't fall asleep for almost 20 minutes. FYI, I never have trouble falling asleep...until lately. I can usually lay down and be out in 5 minutes, at the longest. I like being alone when everyone else is asleep and I can watch tv, eat, or surf the internet without someone needing something or wanting my attention. It's become a very bad habit though. I wake up late and feel crappy most of the day. Common sense says to just go to bed. I think I may listen to it tonight.

I was remembering back in junior high, hanging out with my friend Brandy. She was the best. I used to spend the night at her house a lot. Her mom was really cool and she always had lots of candy around the house. We would lock ourselves in Brandy's room, listen to music on her huge stereo, eat candy and talk on the phone to whomever we were dating at the time. One night, we invited some of our guy friends over and they snuck in the window. We hung out until like 6 am and they tried to sneak back out. But when they did, the geniuses walked right in front of her mom's bedroom window and she saw them. We were SO busted. I couldn't hang out with Brandy for like 2 weeks. Her mom thought we were having sex in there...we SO weren't, so don't worry mom, fam, and anyone else out there reading this. AHHH....the many memories that you will always remember and hope your parents never do.

Nelson Mandela

Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate,

but that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us.

We ask ourselves,

Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.

There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that

other people won't feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us.

It is not just in some; it is in everyone.

And, as we let our own light shine, we consciously give

other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our fear,our presence

automatically liberates others.

-Nelson Mandela-

To sew or not to sew...

My frustration is at a high. I decided to start in on the baby blankets for my family. There are going to be 5 new babies in my family in the next few months. I don't remember the last time I pulled out my sewing machine and it's a temperamental machine, at best. Well, today was a bad day for the machine. It was not working for me. Temperamental, I could handle...but a part actually fell off of it and the backstitch completely quit on me. I tried to find what was wrong with it and failed miserably. So, I called it quits by the 50th time before I was tempted to pick up the nearest object and kill it myself. I shouldn't be too surprised that it's dying...it was my mom's first sewing machine, passed on to me. The one she still has now and uses is the only one I've ever seen her use, so that should tell you how old this one is. It's actually the pink and green colors that were popular in the 60s and 70s. So, now I am unable to sew and it's frustrating. I had the fabric all arranged and ready to sew and now I can't do anything. I want to kick something, but seeing as how I am wearing sandals, I won't. My creativity has been stifled and not much frustrates me more than that. Guess I'll just have to settle for reading some novels for the fall instead. But I will not be stopped, I don't care if I have to buy a new machine. I will sew soon.

Summer Semester over--2 Weeks til Fall Semester :(

Can I start out saying just how happy I am that the summer semester is over?! It is slowly sinking in that I have no homework to do, no papers to pull out of my ear in under two hours, and no tests to cram for overnight. I am starting to relax a little...almost. I've been cleaning a lot the last two days. I was so humbled that my friend, Mody, came to help me clean yesterday. I couldn't believe that she did, but she was a great help to me and I couldn't have done it without her. To pay her back, I bought pizza for lunch and made my yummy chili and cornbread for dinner. It was so nice to have someone to hang out with. I told her today that I think that the kids aren't sure if I really have friends cause I rarely have anyone over. Want to know the reason for this? I'm either too flippin' busy or the house is horribly dirty. I have to say that I am very proud of how clean the house is getting. Maybe I can keep it like that all the way through the next semester...Yeah, right! And maybe I can train the dishes to wash themselves. In my cleaning, I have found a cure for spontaneous clothes shopping...do your laundry. You always think you have nothing to wear and begin to feel the need to shop. But if you do your laundry, you'll be amazed by how many clothes you actually have. Give it a try. You'll also find your bedroom floor! It's a win-win situation.

My hubby wants us to go on this Parade of Homes. It's basically a tour you pay fo to go through a lot of upscale homes in our area. It seems like it would be fun to see these upscale homes, mostly because I would love to see the interior decorating in each and the architecture, and to be amazed by their sheer size. Not to mention that hubby's boss bought the tickets for us. Hubby is also hoping to pick up some million dollar real estate clients in the near future.

I got 2 of 3 the grades for my summer classes. The two I got were a B in Trig and an F in calculus (which was expected). I still haven't gotten my grade for English class yet. I think I will get a B or a low A in it. At the end of a semester, I usually feel a huge rush of relief after finals and turning in final papers. However, this year, it was different. I felt relief and disappointment in equal measures. This is because I know that if I had hired my tutor a few weeks sooner, I would have passed that calculus class. So, I'm kicking myself mentally. I will have to retake it and I'm not thrilled about that, but I really want the math teaching certification. I enjoy math and that will be my ticket to getting hired. Between that and having a master's, I should have a greater chance at joining a school district of my choice. I hope to get hired in a district close by so I won't have to travel much and I'll be close to the kids. Another year and a half of busting my butt like I never have before, and I will achieve my goal.

You must write!

Ok. I've made a decision. I've decided that I'm just going to write in this blog and keep in mind that I might possibly be the only one who reads or cares about it. I saw a t-shirt the other day that said, "No one wants to read your stupid blog." I thought about that more than I care to admit and wondered, "What is the real purpose of a blog?" I don't even remember my reason for starting to write one. I think it might have been because of a class website on blogger. Oh well. After a while, I realized that I hate it that no one comments on what I write. *complaining minus the whinyness* And I have figured out why it bothers me. I am a writer. When a writer writes, it's for others to read and enjoy or hate. It is what we are conditioned to expect. When you begin writing in your youth, you seek the approving feedback of those you love. You want to hear that they think your words are worth more than markings on a paper. You want to hear that they understand the meaning. Then, you have to write for school. That is when it becomes harsh. You write a paper, it could be about a book, a movie, a play, or some pressing world topic. You write whatever they ask you to write about, and as a writer, you put a little of yourself into this work. Then you turn it in with the satisfaction that only a great writer can have. Then you get it back. It's not pretty. Apparently, the teacher has missed the genius of your talent in your writing. She only sees grammatical errors, punctuation errors, and room to improve. Just when you are about to rip up the papers in your hand and take out a hit contract on your teacher, the people who hired her, and the professors who taught her in college, you find the notes on the back of the paper. They are encouraging words, words that show she did recognize your talent and urges you to try harder, reach farther, do more. She knows there is a deep well of words and thoughts within you that has yet to be explored. So, you write. Years pass, papers pass, and you are still writing. You write your thoughts, your dreams, and your assignments. Everywhere you turn, someone is reading your work, commenting on it, critiquing it. You've become accustomed to feedback, support, criticism. Then you decide to keep a blog. A way to sort of write from a more personal place in you than anyone gets to see, no longer behind the veil of everyday life and assignments. So, you write. You pour out your day, your jokes, your dissapointments, and all the little lessons you learn along the way. This is the most personal, and informal writing that you have let anyone read. And then, nothing. Not one comment, maybe not even a viewer. Confusion sets in. Where is the feedback, the applause, the criticism, the A+? What does a writer do without these things, that voice that reflects back the high and low points of their writing? These are the questions that ran through my mind. Until now. What does the writer do? You write. Even when no one is listening, reading, or commenting. You do it because you're a writer and there is an internal voice within you that, once released onto paper, will never shut up again. You must allow it to flow, or you will be going against the very way you are built. You are a writer, you must write.

HEEELLLOOO 21st Century!!!

I have finally entered the new millenium...and considering how late I usually am for everything, I'm not all that late for this. I NOW HAVE A LAPTOP! AND WIRELESS! I'm on top of the world right now. I feel like Carrie Bradshaw, spewing forth my thoughts as they come and enjoying every minute. Right now, I am reclining on my bed and updating you on this joyful event. My wonderful husband worked out the wireless kinks for me. He has really impressed me lately. He stayed up with me the other night to put together my webpage for class and I love him dearly for it. It feels so cool to be tapping away and hearing the soft clicks of the keys in my lap. I really appreciate not having to sit in a too low chair in front of a comp desk and straining to be comfortable while typing.

Updates:

We lost the key to our car this weekend. Normally, this wouldn't be too bad except that this particular vehicle requires a laser cut key and had to be ordered through the dealership for a pretty penny. I found it quite ironic, however, that the car is equipped with this laser cut key and an alarm system to deter theft because my husband had to and was able to break into it. He had some equipment that needed to be removed from the car and he literally jimmied the car like any 1980, pre-alarm and pre-laser cut key toyota econobox. Interesting, huh!?

My son has started a film acting class taught by a lady from church. She's done movie and tv appearances before and now teaches a variety of ages to act on film. His first day was on Saturday and he was kind of thrown into the mix considering classes actually started a couple of weeks ago. They said that he did really well and he told me that he really enjoyed it. I hope this is something that he finds happiness doing and that we can continue to support him in it. We're also thinking of putting our daughter in a class of her own...she's expressed an interest in playing the guitar and also in dirt bike racing. My kids are so wonderfully diverse.

Other than these things, not much to report. I'm supposed to be working on a paper and felt like I was failing when I realized that I had been staring at the wall for ten minutes. My brain is not in top form today. I think that it knows that school is almost over and it wants to quit on my already. I have my first final tomorrow and I feel quite unprepared. I would have to say that this semester was the hardest in my college career. I also have a feeling that it won't be any easier from here on out or in grad school. But I really want the prize at the end of the tunnel.