Home Sweet Home

Well, I am home. I now face the monumental task of unpacking 12 days worth of stuff from 2 suitcases. Blah. I hate unpacking.

All my pets are still alive, thanks to Donald and Joel.

While I was home I: got a haircut, swam in my grandma's new pool almost every day, weeded flowerbeds for a combined 14 hours, babysat for my cousin's 3 kids once and my brother's baby 5 times, hung out with most of my family, learned a new game called Settlers of Catan (which is awesome), ate Taco John's (a must on any visit home), watched Lars and the Real Girl, the Bucket List, and Accepted, got a tan despite applying over 3 bottles of sunscreen during my visit, and felt really peaceful.

A strange feeling overtook me on the way back to Springfield. One I was not expecting to have yet. One that really took me by surprise.

I'm ready for school to start back up.

Yes! Already, before July even hits! Shocking, I know.

I'm ready for that anticipatory feeling of getting everything ready and making new plans for the coming year. (For teachers, years begin in August, not January. January only serves to confuse our students as to what year it is for at least 3 months.) I'm looking forward to further developing my relationships with my returning students and my friends on staff. I'm even actually ready for a staff meeting or two.

I've never been ready for school to start back up again so soon into the summer.

I think it is a good sign. This job was quite different from what I had done in the past. I was quite sure I needed to take this job, but quite unsure as to whether I would love it. Truth is, I do. It's not without stress, for sure, but I feel like I fit into it well. I could easily see myself doing this for the rest of my career (unless I actually get a chance to go to law school).

I also think it has something to do with not teaching summer school. My summers for the last few years have not even started until July, so I gained an extra month this year. So, I guess it kind of makes sense. I've had 4 weeks of vacation, and before, that would mean only two weeks left. So it would be time to start anticipating. This year, however, I have all of July and half of August to go. (Although, I am signed up for several summer academies between now and then which will fill some time and help me earn some money missed by not teaching summer school.)

Alive and well

I am still at home (Mom home), and will be returning home (Springfield home) this weekend. I am not ready to leave, but am more than ready to be with my husband every day again.

Back from Nebraska!

We had a good trip, very busy, but fun.

We started by leaving in a torrential rain that caused us to be soaked for the first hour or so of the drive, but we fortunately drove out of the rain and saw no more rain until sunday night's return. I'm so glad it did not rain while we were at camp.

We stopped for lunch at the subway one mile from my mom's house. I called but she was not home. We went into the gas station next door to buy a case of water...but put it back when we learned they charge $23.75 for a case! Is it liquid diamonds?? Craziness.

Less than an hour up the road, in Mound City, we had to stop and wait for an hour and a half because our tire wall was cracking. Luckily there was a car dealership that was able to replace the tire for us. While we waited we took a walk around town.

The town is the most demonstratively patriotic I've ever seen. One entire store is called Red, White and Blue and You. The entire store is nothing but Americana merchandise. EVERY store window had some kind of patriotic display happening. They really take it seriously.

However, funny things abounded, also. It was at this point that I wished I had not forgotten my camera.

By the McDonald's, there is a rock. From a distance you can see a plaque and a frame on this rock. Curious, we approached it to see what was being displayed. The plaque said "Sponsored by the local Kiwani's." In the frame was....3 sticks of gum. Yes, gum. Doublemint, Juicy Fruit and Extra Cinnamon to be precise, sun faded to white, but the writing still readable. Who pays to frame gum on a rock????

The local grocery store takes "no shoes, no shirt, no service" to a different level, also. Their sign reads "Wooden floors. Splinters. Shoes required." See, all along, I thought it was for sanitary purposes. Nope, it's for splinters.

Another store had a sign directly above the doorknob that said "You must turn doorknob to enter." Personally, I would not have put the sign up. If someone cannot figure that out, I would not want them in my antique shop.

We also saw many signs advertising a "Hugh Garage Sale."

Finally, we were back on the road and on our way to Nebraska. Passing through Hamburg, Iowa, we stopped for a malt at Stoner Drug. True name.

Also, while the flooding in Iowa is not at all funny, the sign we saw in the flood was reason to laugh. As we drove down a single lane of highway, all other lanes covered in water, we see a sign that says "Restoring America's Wetlands." Well, they can stop now, mission accomplished!

We stopped in York for dinner and to go to Walmart for water (and bait for the men).

When we arrived at camp we found that the most abundant population of Nebraska is apparently the mosquito population. I have many bites, even while wearing Off.

We had a great time with our 4-7 year olds. We did crafts, played games and pretended Donald was a dragon. Of our 8 kids, only one gave us any trouble. A couple really bonded to us and sought us out at all meals to play or talk.

I swam in the lake, played on the water trampoline and went down the water slide. I attempted to climb the giant iceberg inflateable in the lake and found it to be impossible. (I also hurt my ankle jumping off the dock and finding out it was only 2 and a half foot deep there.)

We returned last night and I now need to begin the packing process all over again, as mom picks me up tomorrow! It's bittersweet as I want so badly to go home and see my mom and family...but to be away from Donald for 11 days will be tough. I'll miss him a lot. (And worry if he's eating....and remembering to feed my pets.) I'll get to meet my nephew, Sage, for the first time. He's now living with my brother and the hearing to determine custody is this Wednesday.

sound bites

I leave for Nebraska tomorrow morning at 8 am.

I leave for home Tuesday afternoon.

I am a redhead again, at least for the summer.

Doing laundry makes the house hot.

I cannot figure out what to make for dinner.

Lessons from a five year old

Remember one commandment? Do not kill.


P.S. In stupid sign news, you can now go to Culver's for a Tutle Dove Sundae.

Oh such joy...

...it is when your husband says "The car's handling funny. Can you make an appointment for next week?"

So you do.

Then you find out you almost permanently killed your car and that'll be $605.37, please and thanks.

The fuel line was leaking (and with gas prices as they are, that's no laughing matter), the spark plugs were shot, the fuel filter was clogged, but the worst issue was the hydraulic balancing seal was leaking oil into engine parts that oil should not be in, and onto the serpentine belt, causing it to slip and erode. Had it not gotten fixed in time, it would have ruined our engine. (Also really annoying is that to fix it they have to drain the engine of oil, fix it and put in new oil...I just got a long overdue oil change the last week of school. I could have saved $40.00 if I'd just taken it in then.)

I'm trying to think really positively. We had the money available and it won't be a choice between having the car fixed and eating. So, that's good. We are getting ready to take the car on a 550 mile round trip and that easily could have broken it, and then we'd have NO car, no transportation and still have a car payment for several more months on a car that had become a really large, heavy brick. So better to pay now than have no car. We avoided any permanent damage. Our car should last several more years.

So really, this is one time my husband's paranoia has blessed us.

(But does handing over that much money ever really feel like a blessing?)

Another dumb sign

The Backyard Burger restaurant' digital marqee (the one on Battlefield Rd.) has been proudly proclaiming all week long "$3.99 Chicken Ceaser Sandwitch"

Who proofreads these things???

What if I'd rather lease it?

Today, driving in town, I saw a sign on a street corner (not a billboard, more like the signs realtors put in front of houses) that said "Integrity for rent."

This strikes me as odd.

Murphy strikes

Well, its time for another lesson in Murphy's law.

I lost my MP3 player the weekend after Easter. I searched high and low in the apartment, the car and at school.

I finally caved in and bought my iPod Touch with my stipend money last week.

Less than 7 days later, I find, under a nightstand, my creative zen micro photo.

Yep. I now have both.

I can't take the iPod back, as I have already opened it, used it, downloaded songs, adjusted factory settings, etc. (I don't think I'd want to anyway, as I mentioned before I'm kind of in love with it.)

I may list my Zen for sale, instead, but even that makes me sad. I really liked it and was sad to lose it.