Anchor Inn

This is Anchor Inn on the Lake, located in Branson West. it is the prettiest place I have ever stayed (in America). The octagonal lighthouse part on the side is where our room, "The Mediterranean Lighthouse Room" was located. There are 3 other rooms, "The Maryland Room," "The Virginia Room," and "The Kansas Sunflower Room." The Innkeepers, Mike and Dee let us see all the rooms before other guests were there and I really think our room was the prettiest. If it were unavailable, I would take the Virginia as a second choice. It has a pretty four poster bed with red linens, an electric fireplace, a sliding door that leads to a deck and path to the lake and a jacuzzi tub in the bathroom. I didn't find anything wrong with the Virginia room, it just wasn't quite as nice as our room. The Maryland was a pretty blue, with a jacuzzi, but the jacuzzi is in the bedroom, not seperate, which is a loss for me. Also, the fireplace was 2 feet from the side of the bed, which is too close to really enjoy. The Kansas room was too small for me, also the clawfoot tub was in the corner of the bedroom. It was my least favorite.

But, back to our room. This is the top of the lighthouse. There are windows all the way around, and a jacuzzi tub. This is not the typical jets out of the side jacuzzi. It was an air massage with tiny holes along the floor of the tub, which sent bubbles up. Much less forceful than the jets in a normal jacuzzi, but super nice feeling. And, the super-bonus was underwater lights! My water could be blue, purple, orange, green, teal, red, and yellow. I could freeze it, or set it to cycle at a speed I liked. So much fun. This was also the largest tub I have ever been in. I wanted to forward my mail and just live in this tub, but Donald said no.

Directly across from the tub were sliding doors leading to our own balcony. Unfortunately, we did not use the balcony, what with the 35 degree temperature. But it was pretty. Also, the vertical blinds that covered the sliding glass doors had been individually covered in shirred chiffon, as had the thing above them that holds them, making them soft and pretty. I've never seen that before but I loved it!
From the outside, you can see we had a balcony and a deck, also. Very cool. We had two exits from our lower level, one to the deck, one to the common areas of the house.



This is the view toward the common areas and deck door. Off to the left was the bathroom with a shower (for the non jacuzzi soakers).




This is the view from the common area door, here you can see our beautiful bed. It was super comfy and very pretty. It was also a king sized bed, which we have never had before. It felt so big!

We loved this bed and breakfast. If I had to list any complaints they would be that it is hard to find (especially in the dark) and that the cooking, while tasty, was not "creative" like some other places we have gone. Simple food like pancakes, fruit and ham were the dishes we ate. Truthfully, that is not a huge problem for me, since it was still yummy and she avoided the foods I told her I was allergic to and Donald wouldn't eat. (Raspberries and eggs.)

Overall, I am pleased. We will go back. We will stay in this room if possible. It's the perfect room. It was clean and fresh and calm feeling, with pale sage and whites and touches of lavender.

I loved the fact that this inn was not covered in flowers everwhere. Some places are flowered walls, beds, table cloths, everything. I hate that. This in was just crisp and nice.

Each room has a theme based on where the inn keepers lived while Mike was in the Navy. Each bed, when you arrive, has a special gift that is from the area the room represents. We got italian glitterati candies. Our room was based on their time in the Mediterranean, on the island of Sardignia, La Meddaluna.

I also loved the fact that the innkeepers were christians and the entire inn was nonsmoking, including outside. No smoking anywhere on their property.

Good news

Gramma called me and said that Papa's preliminary body scan does not show cancer anywhere else in his body.

They are going to need to do chemo or radiation or both to treat what they couldn't get out of his face/neck.

My great grandma Bea (Papa's mom) had chemo and did really badly on it, so Papa wants to try radiation alone first. He sees the oncologist later this week to discuss it and see what the best option will be.

Keep praying! It's working!

strange sickness

Well, this illness started with Davy having a sore throat, then throwing up, then feeling better in a couple days.

When I got it, it started with the sore throat, then a fever, then congestion and a bit of cough.

Now that my husband has it, it is a fever, a little throat soreness, a headache, chills, coughing and sneezing.

How does one illness manifest in so many different ways? Or did we not have the same thing?

I am feeling better, still a little congested and my throat is still a little tender, but I can swallow things again! No more fever and no more cough.

I hope he gets better soon, though. He actually agreed to take medicine, so I know he is feeling bad.

What an anniversary weekend, huh? (Saturday was our 6 year anniversary...we couldn't do much. Hopefully we will be all better and able to celebrate on valentines day!)

Tea

I really, really wish I liked hot tea. It sounds like it would be so soothing to my poor angry throat. But try as I might to doctor it into something drinkable, I just cannot get past the fact that it tastes awful. I could make it drinkable with honey, but by the time I did, I may as well just drink honey.

Pray for Papa

My Papa, Jim, was diagnosed with lymphoma today. Right now, thats all I know. They haven't told him what kind yet, he has to meet with 2 more doctors and get a full body scan to see where all in his body it is. Then they will give him a treatment plan.

This hurts my feelers really bad.

I want miracles. I want it to disappear. I want him to not push away from God because of this. He was estranged from God for almost 20 years and has slowly found his way back over the last two years. He is in a good place right now, I want his faith to continue to grow strong.

I want a lot. But I serve a big God.

Pray with me. Pray for Papa.

Okay, I totally agree now.

Today, I looked outside, and I thought for sure school would be in session tomorrow. The roads were getting clearer, the weather had stopped and we had already missed two days.

Then, the text from SPS Alerts. School cancelled Thursday. (Sponsored by AGCU, which cracks me up.)

I was a bit confused. And couldn't decide if I was happy or not. I mean, I know I won't want to make these days up. That part of having snow days really sucks. But, I also don't relish the idea of going outside at 7 am in half a foot of snow and spending the day in a classroom with kids who cannot have outside recess and have spent the equivelent of a weekend at home after only one day at school. So the third snow day was a bit of a drag, but also a bit of a relief.

Still, I was wondering why it was cancelled.

Then...I decided to drive to school to check on the pets (2 guinea pigs and a betta in my room, a goldfish and a turtle in Charles' room). I knew I'd have to go tonight or tomorrow, so decided to just get it done.

The whole way down Ingram Mill, Sunshine and Scenic, I thought "It's not great, but it's certainly not bad enough to cancel school."

But when I turned off of Scenic to come to the school, I realized just how bad the "secondary" roads still were. It has not been warm enough to get rid of anything, and the roads that aren't plowed are BAD. I spun out 4 times in one block on Walnut. I pulled to a stop at a stop sign and had to try three times to get the car moving again. That's a road several of my kids have to come down on their bus to school.

I am thankful that the administration cancelled tomorrow. I totally see why and agree with the decision. I am glad I drove to the school, so that any second guessing was put to rest. I am glad that the safety of our students was put above the need to get 175 school days in.

Thanks, SPS. I appreciate your decision.

late Christmas present? Early birthday present?

I am not sure why only the title of this post published the first time. I will try again!

My present was a wonderful, fabulous gift that made my whole week brighter. Here's the story:

Guy 1: Amber's birthday is in less than a month. We should get her a present.

Guy 2: You know, we really should. We've never given her one and she HAS been a loyal fan since she was 6.

Guy 1: But what can we give her that would make up for all the years we didn't give her anything?

Guy 2: I don't know...

:both guys thinking:

Guy 1: I've got it! We can fire Herm Edwards!

Guy 2: You're right! That would make her really happy! Let's do it!

(The previous conversation took place between the decision makers of the Kansas City Chiefs. Donald thinks I am nuts and this decision was not about me. He's totally wrong.)

Random update info

I've had stuff to write, but no real motivation to blog. So I didn't. Sorry for anyone who wished there was a post in the past couple weeks. Here is some of the stuff I may have written about if I'd felt like it.

Jax is getting better. No more twitching when touched and his fur is growing back. After all that, he caught a cold and sneezed non-stop for a week or so, but he seems to be over that, also. He doesn't mind his new food too much. The hardest adjustment has been not getting table scraps from Donald. (It's been as hard on Donald as it has been on Jax.

I got my SMART Board on Friday! It is wonderfully fun and I cannot wait to see how much fun my students have with it.

In related news, I am thinking I am too much of a teacher. Saturday night I dreamt of using my SMART Board. Sunday night I dreamt of teaching other people how to use it and also about playing with new Play-Doh with my students. Dreaming of school is just a little too lame for me to be ok with it.

Apparently my mind is REALLY into the SMART Board. I also got Play-Doh for my room on Friday night, we have not had any in our room this year. I know exactly how much my kids love Play-Doh. Having regular Play-Doh sessions will make them very happy. Apparently my mind was thrilled about that, too.

I took Gabbie roller skating last weekend. It was fun, she had a lot more patience and stamina for it this time (last time she was only 4, now she's 6). However, she also had more guts and tried to skate faster, resulting in a lot more falls. Combine that with her insistence on wearing a dress and tights instead of jeans, and she probably had bruises all over her behind and thighs from falling down on her skate wheels.

By my school, there was a sign advertising "Germin Shepherd Pupys for Sale." I am thinking the only way they spelled Shepherd correctly was by looking it up. They must have thought they knew how to spell the other words. Nope. A few days later they changed the spelling of Germin to German, but puppies is still spelled pupys. I am waiting for the third edition.

I think there my be more to say, but dinner's ready. Later.

Jax update

Well, Jax is definately sick.

He has the feline equivalent of shingles. Which means he is in a lot of pain, even if he is not acting like it and all of his nerve receptors are extremely sensitive. He got a cortosteroid shot today to help calm his nerve receptors and block pain. The vet said the effects of the shot should last at least a month, keeping him out of pain until the other treatment puts the shingles in remission.

After the shot takes effect, and he isn't in a lot of pain, he has to get a bath and comb out tomorrow to remove all the dander and stuff from his skin, so the lesions heal better.

The next day, after his skin oils have built back up, we have to put this oil treatment on his back to help knock out the shingles.

Just like in humans, shingles never go away, they just go into remission. Stress brings them back out. Meaning if we ever have a baby, move, get a dog, etc. he could flare back up. If that happens, we have to take him back and repeat the process.

The vet said that it probably was not his food that triggered the autoimmune response, but his kitty condo tower that he loved so very, very much. The carpet it is covered in is apparently treated with chemicals, and then when the cat scratches it, as it is meant for, those chemicals release and land all over the cat, in addition to being inhaled by the cat. Not good.

The vet says I can vaccuum and steam clean the tower and try it again, but no thanks. If it made him this sick, it can hit the dumpster. Its just not worth it.

In addition to all of that (like we need more!), he also is showing signs of feline type 2 diabetes. I had already bought him hypoallergenic food when all his problems started a month or so ago, but it is really expensive. The vet recommended some other options that are better priced (like 10.99 instead of 23.oo for 40 oz), but still better for him. Corn apparently is really bad for diabetic cats, since it converts to sugar quickly. He needs a grain free diet. No more Whiskas. I got him some of the new food, so we'll see how he likes it. He also cannot have any table scraps, which will break Donald's heart, since they love to share. The vet also said he should only be having 1/2 to 3/4 cup of food per day, not the 1.5 cups he has been getting.

Poor baby. This will be a rough change, between the bath, no table food, no kitty condo, switching foods again, and decreasing his food.

But to add insult to injury, he has to go back in 3-4 weeks for a rabies shot, too!

no vet

The vet cannot see Jax until Saturday morning. I hope its nothing serious.

Home again

We are back from Mom's house. I love going...but I hate leaving.

Our poor cat pulled out chunks of his own fur while we were gone. He's going to the vet tomorrow.

Happy Birthday Jesus!

It's Christmas, folks! That is simultaneously happy and sad. I am happy to celebrate Christmas and all it's joys. I am happy to see people I care about.

But...after today, there is little good left in winter. Just 3 more freezing cold months of grayness. (There is a brief respite of joy in February, with my anniversary, Valentine's Day and my birthday...but then more cold grayness.)

The trees come down, the lights come down, the brightness of December drains away.

But, for today, I choose to ignore what happens on the other side of Christmas. I choose to celebrate Jesus. I choose to spend time with loved ones. I choose to get off the computer and make the dessert for dinner tonight!

Quiet Christmas Eve

Today has been on the quiet side. I slept in, then made waffles and sausage for Donald and I. We went and bought one gift (for the Potter children) and some butter for my apple pie crust. We hung out here for a bit (Donald enjoying video games and me finishing up my Grandma's Christmas cross-stitch present). We attended the Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at Second. Now, I am making a fancy-ish dinner for us to enjoy (bacon wrapped steak filets with a creamy gorgonzola sauce over whole grain pasta, with green beans). Then we are going to watch a movie.

That's all. No rushing around, trying to do a billion things. It's been quite nice.

BREAK!!!!

It is officially Christmas break!!!!!!!

12 days of no students.

12 days of no lesson planning.

12 days of no disciplinary reports.

12 days of no waking up at 6 am.

12 days of not dealing with parent calls.

Yes, people, these are the true "12 Days of Christmas" for teachers.

tires

The guy at the shop says the entire problem is our tires being "out of round." He says it usually happens from hitting potholes or curbs. I've definately been guilty of curb checks on occasion...

He says you notice it more in the colder weather because the tires get harder and do not flex to the road like they do when they are warm, so it feels like driving on a square.

He says replacing the tires will fix the problem.

4 tires, diagnostic fee, valve stems, installation and recycling fee is nearly $300. Merry Christmas to us.

Thanks Murphy. P.S. I hate you.

Well, our lives being what they are at the moment, naturally our car has broken down. Again. 1 month and 18 days after the fuel pump quit. I month and 15 days after the battery died.

I had it towed today, but the shop isn't open, hopefully I will know something tomorrow.

We went to Gabbie's birthday party yesterday and when we left the car made the exact same sound and feeling it does if you have a flat.

Only, our tires are not at all flat. The last week or so, Donald felt a "pulling" and I felt a little "wobble." But everytime I felt it, I wasn't sure if I was making it up in my head. Apparently, it was something.

Pray it's cheap. Otherwise, we can't really afford to fix it. And more than likely, I can't go home for Christmas.

I hate cars.

Gabbie

Gabbie is 6 today. (In real life, in my head she hasn't even turned one yet.) The little, sweet, angel doll baby is growing up so fast. She's in school now. She can dress herself and write her name. She can express her opinions (and drive her mother crazy in the process). She holds entire conversations that make total sense.

She still makes me smile, just like she did as a baby. But now, she can also make me laugh! She is unintentionally hilarious. She cheers me up and makes a bad day better, just by her sheer Gabbieness.

I feel sorry for people who don't have a Gabbie in their life.

Gabbie is 6. 6 years old. Where does 6 years go?

Happy birthday, Gabbie! I can't wait to see where the next 6 years takes you. (Although...I am certainly not ready to think of you as a teenager...) You'll always be that special, beautiful, porcelain baby I met on a cold december night 6 years ago. I am so glad you came into my life. Thanks for being you.

I probably shouldn't, but...

I am going to anyway. I know the situation is a tragedy and many people are very upset. So it may be inappropriate to ask about it so soon. But I have to.

There is a person who died (either last night or today) during a Nativity Play. The person was playing one of the magi. He died when his cable that was suspending him from the ceiling snapped.

So...why was the Magi suspended from the ceiling? Could the Magi fly?

This whole situation confuses me.

A husband at home???

My husband just got put on a DAY SHIFT! That's not happened in many many moons. I will see him EVERYDAY. That has not happened in years! We will get to see friends together, eat dinner together, go to bed together.

This is so exciting!

Ugly Tree!

Our annual, beloved, joyous Ugly Tree Party occurs tonight. This is the fifth year we've held this event and it keeps getting bigger. This year, we've invited a record 26 people! (If you've seen Hanna and Chris's house, you'll understand the magnitude of a gathering that large.)

This party, for me, is a true highlight of December. I just love being in the midst of people I love, who are having a good time with each other.

Not to mention, we have THE COOLEST theme of any holiday party, anywhere. I am positive of that.

I go to Hanna's to do prep in 3 hours. Guests arrive in 5 and a half. We'll crash, exhausted, full and happy, into our beds in about 13.

Great day.

Narnia at The Little Theatre

Today I took my class on a community outing to see The Little Theatre's production of Narnia at The Landers Theatre.

It was awesome, and I say that as someone who dislikes the book and feels lukewarm toward the movie. I highly recommend it, it is playing through Sunday evening and seats are still available for something like $11. It is musical and magical and really well done.

Our kids LOVED it. We worried about taking them to a play. None of them have ever been to one, and it is a long time to sit quietly. We had no reason to worry. They sat, mesmerized and still, for the entire hour and a half. Only one child got antsy, and really, for her, she was extremely well behaved. One little girl kept looking over at me and saying, "I like that." The boys were enthralled by the wolves, Aslan the Lion and the sword fighting.

We had such a great experience, we are already considering attending in April when they put on Mulan, Jr., despite the fact that we will need to spend another $80 out of our funds. (Although, truthfully, $80 for 20 tickets is a steal.)

Next week we are cooking for the residents of the Ronald McDonald House. We felt we needed to do a service project.

Week 14, really?

Where did football season go? Is it really almost playoff time? I could swear I've only had like 6 weeks of sundays with my boys.

Football season always ends too early. And it always makes me sad.

On a happier note, I am putting up my tree today!

in shock

Sometimes people say things that just utterly shock me. Like to the point where I do not know if I should slap them or just laugh at their baffling lack of a filter.

Today was one of those moments. And what was said hurt me, for obvious reasons, but I am not totally sure it was intended to sting. She may have been kidding, or thinking she was just being sarcastic. Or she may have been being mean, I don't know this lady well enough to judge that.


She looked at me and said, "I don't know why you are complaining, your husband works nights and it's not like you have kids or anything important to get home to like some of us do."

Excuse me? My life is unimportant because I don't have kids? Gee, thanks.

Where does time go?

This year is almost over. I find that extremely hard to comprehend. The school year is nearly half gone. Babies are growing up too fast.

All your childhood, you hear that years fly by as you get older. I've found that to be true. But it worries me a bit.

If years are going this fast now and I am not even 30, how will I get anything accomplished in a year when I am in my 50's and beyond?

Snow...

Is cold. And yucky. And slickery.

But, I've otherwise had a great Thanksgiving Break.

I got to go home, which is always a treat. James and Jessica (my brother and his girlfriend) came down on Wednesday and I rode back with them. Thursday was food, family, Tripoley, Dominos, and an insane trip to the Zona Rosa shopping Center from 11 pm to 3 am. (Really good deals from midnight to 3. Like 50-70% off EVERYTHING.) It was cold, and people were CRAZY. Never again. The deals are not worth the amount of trouble it is. Friday was sleeping in, then having my nephew, Sage, for several hours, then shopping with mom. I got 2 new shirts and a new sweater and a digital camera for James and Jessica's Christmas present. With Sage and the next baby (fingers crossed for a girl), it will get plenty of use. Also got my Taco John's fix, a must on any trip home.

Then on Saturday, Hanna and Chris took us to the Trans Siberian Orchestra concert as our Christmas gift. It was awesome. All I could think while I was there was that Bryan has to go see them. He would have been in symphonic rock heaven.

Today has been football, carpet cleaning and hiding from the snow.

This week is Christmas decorating time!!! I cannot wait to get my tree up and my lights strung. I love the whole event. Cocoa and carols and baubles and sparkles. Bring it on, baby!

dreams do come true!

Last school year, Melody came up with the idea that we should write a grant for Smartboards for mine and Charles' classes. Putting our heads together this year, we wrote that grant.

Today, happy visitors came to my room and gave us a check for $6,259 to buy two Smartboards, two projectors, 2 installations and 1 set of interactive response pads!!

We are so excited!

toothbrush confusion

I bought a new toothbrush. It is a Colgate Max Fresh. I bought it for the same reason I have bought every other toothbrush in my life. It was blue and pretty.

However, this toothbrush confuses me.

The front part of the handle is made of a hardish blue gel instead of plastic and has little confetti pieces embedded in it. The package boasts that that part of the handle has a "refreshing mint scent to enhance the brushing experience." When I opened it, I found it really did smell just like minty toothpaste. It is not a bad smell.

But I have to wonder...if I am already brushing my teeth with minty toothpaste, what is the purpose of the scented handle? Wouldn't I already have a "refreshing mint scent" from my toothpaste? Does extra mint smell truly "enhance" my brushing experience?

Truly, no. After you have mint toothpaste on the brush, you cannot even smell that the handle is scented.

So it seems that the handle is meant to be sniffed when you are NOT using toothpaste already. Weird.

I'll keep my new toothbrush, though. Like I said, it's still blue and pretty.

hot TV

The other night as Donald and I were watching The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson, a commercial for the new CBS show The Mentalist came on. I mentioned that I thought the guy in it was sexy. Donald was mystified by this comment. But, seriously, I have actually watched The Mentalist, twice, despite my dislike of crime dramas and procedurals. I watch no CSIs, no Law and Orders, no Bones, no Numbers. It's not my thing. I prefer my TV people alive and not cut open. But for the eye candy that is Simon Baker, I've relented on occasion.

I've now decided he has made my Top 10 hot guys list. Since my list from #3-10 is not in a stable order, just a clump of guys I think are hot, I'm not totally sure who he has bumped. I do know it is NOT #1 or #2, as those two spots are firmly claimed and completely stable.

Simon Baker does not hold a candle to #1, the yummy hotness that is my Johnny.





















Or #2, the utterly attractive Taye Diggs. No one has a smile like him.















So, I am still mulling who to bump. But someone is getting the boot.

two things

I've had a couple of random things bouncing off my skull. Neither of them are important, but here they are.

1. The movie Four Christmases. Seriously people. Does ANYONE in the universe think that the adorable, talented Reese Witherspoon would marry the obnoxious, sloppy, vulgar Vince Vaughn? I know, I know, Jennifer Aniston dated him. But she was rebounding off of the loss of Brad and is allowed to make a bad call. But putting Reese and Vince in a movie and asking me to buy that match up? I don't think so.

2. McDonald's Chicken Nuggets. Pay attention people. McDonald's has exacted a "bad math tax" against you. They now have a 4 pc. nugget for $1.00. The 10 pc. is $3.39. The 20 pc. is $6.19. But, you could get 3 of the $1.00 4 pieces and have 12 rather than 10 nuggets for only $3.21. Save 18 cents and get two extra nuggets. Also, you could order 5 of the $1.00 4 pieces for $5.35 instead of 1 20 pc. and save yourself 74 cents on the same amount of food. You are basically paying extra to have fewer boxes, which I guess is better for the environment but kind of dumb for you. Do the math. I'm just saying. (Yes, I know too much about McDonald's nuggets, but it has bothered me for a couple weeks now. Ever since I saw the 4 pc for $1 sign, I wondered if the price of the other sizes went down. They didn't.)

Just curious

Today, they released the secret service "code names" for the Obamas. Barack will be Renegade, Michelle will be Renaissance, Malia is Radiance and Sasha is Rosebud.

But, I have to ask...isn't the point of a "code name" that no one else knows what it is?

What good is a code name that you announce to the whole world?

How will it be any different to say "Renegade is standing too close to the man with the strange duffel bag," than to say "Barack (or President Obama) is standing too close to the man with the strange duffel bag?"

Yeah, I hate cars

We had our car back slightly longer than 48 hours when I left school today. I turned the key and it revved a bit before actually starting.

I went and got gas and started the car to leave, it happened again.

I drove to O'Reilley's and got their free electrical system test.

Bad battery.

$85.00.

I'm kinda pissed.

Plus, I need to actually change the battery and I don't have a socket that fits the bolt, so I have not been able to yet. It still starts, but it takes a few seconds and sometimes 2 tries.

Hopefully I can get it changed before it strands us.

Verdict

Bad fuel pump. Better than the transmission being bad (approx. $2000), worse than it being the alternator (approx $450). Final total will be around $650.

We can swing it, but it will be super tight for the month, since Donald'd final tuition payment comes out this month, also.

Thanks to everyone who has helped us and prayed. You relieved a lot of stress from us!

We should have our car back by closing time tomorrow.

Friends and Kindness

Hanna and Chris have made our lives considerably easier. For the time that our car is out of commission, they are letting us borrow Mithril Rae, Hanna's Intrepid. That means I don't have to take the bus to work each morning or figure out rides home from work for both of us.

Between them and Joey today, we are blessed.

We have great friends and for that we are so tremendously grateful.

Please pray that our car is fixed quickly and inexpensively.

Poor baby car

Today, on our drive home from church, our car started acting funny. The RPMs started going really low, then back to normal and it was acting like it wouldn't let me accelerate. We decided to try to drive it to O'Reilley's and get the free alternator/battery check. The car decided otherwise and stopped entirely on the corner at Sunshine. Some kind men helped Donald push it into a parking lot.

Now, I am immensely grateful that in August I decided to add Alltell Roadside Assistance to our cell phones. They came and towed our poor baby car to Daytona's. This service won't cost us anything, and all because we have been paying $3 per month to have the service. $9 later, we needed it.

Joey came and picked up Donald and took him to work for us.

Now, comes the real challenge. Donald can take the city bus to work as always. (Also, his classes are all cancelled this week because of a conference his instructors are going to, so that is of no concern.) I can take the bus to work, if needed. (I'll have to be on the bus at 6:30 in the morning.) But, he cannot ride it home, as he gets off work so late. I could ride it home some days, but this is parent-teacher conference week and I have to be at school until 7:30 pm each night. The bus to our house only runs til 6pm.

So, we will be relying on the kindness of friends.

Hopefully the problem is quickly fixed. My dad says it sounds like an alternator or fuel pump. I hope it is not a super expensive fix, whatever it is.

I hate car problems.

I keep talking to myself tonight...

And I'm not sure why.

Occasionally, on a normal evening, I will talk to the cat, or laugh at something, or occasionally say something that pops into my brain when I see something.

But, tonight is different. I have been unable to contain thoughts, everything is spouting out of my mouth. It's like my head has reached capacity and is now overflowing.

I hope it's fixed by next week. This would be a very bad trait to carry into parent-teacher conferences...

So you know whats fun?

Screaming, cussing, fighting matches involving pepper spray going on in your parking lot right when you need to be leaving to pick up your husband.

Know whats even more fun? When the cops and the security company don't respond until the people who are fighting have already left.

seriously???

Gillian Anderson of X-Files fame just had a son. She named him Felix. The name itself, I don't care for much, but its ok.

However, her 1 year old son is named Oscar.

WHY? Why would she name her sons Oscar and Felix? You know she has to know who the odd couple is.

Things like that really drive me crazy.

Life happens

We won't be moving (most likely). At least not right now. Lots of things are up in the air.

It's a lot of stress and worry, but I know it'll all be ok.

owies

So, when you stand up off the floor of your classroom and hear a "pop" and then the whole back of your knee hurts so bad you want to cuss in front of the kids (but you don't) and then you limp for several hours afterwards...is that bad?

YAY FOR CHIEFS!!

My Boys won today, after an almost year long dry spell.

I'm so happy, if I were a dog, I'd wet myself.

House...

I found a house I really like. I showed it to Donald. He really likes it, too.

It has a large building in the back yard with electricity, which is a big selling point to Donald, who wants to turn it into "Man World" with punching bags and other manly accoutrements.

It also has a lot of built in shelves, which is great, as we are always in need of more book storage.

It has new carpet and new paint and they are working on remodeling a bathroom right now.

It has a decently large kitchen, a fireplace, three bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a 2 car garage and a fenced in back yard.

So...will it still be available when our lease is up? That is the question.

Hypocritcial board games?

Last night at Barnes and Noble, I saw a game called "Drinking games from around the World." Laughing, I picked it up and looked at the back. It proclaimed to contain 31 drinking games from different countries, and the supplies to play them, such as cards, poker chips, etc.

Then, at the bottom, it said "We do not recommend these games be played with alcohol."


Umm...then maybe you should not distribute drinking games....

Houses, dear houses

Today I get to go do walk throughs on houses to rent! Yay!

Cross your fingers we find a nice house for a decent price in a safe neighborhood. Yep, we want it all.

What is this green stuff?!?

So today, I made a purchase of $1.78.

I handed the clerk a $5 bill.

She looked at it, looked up at me and said "Will that be credit or debit?"

Um...that's called cash....

Get Smart

I just wanted to say that we saw this movie on Saturday and you should, too. I have not laughed that hard at a movie in many, many years.

great weekend, horrifying week

This past weekend was great!! We were sure we were going to get hurricaned out of RenFest, or at least hit hard on the drive back, but no! Beautiful day for RenFest, only sprinkled lightly twice, no other rain, and cool enough to be pleasant but not need a jacket. Sundays drive home saw no rain and no flooding. We could not have been luckier.

I also learned a new song from the Irish minstrels at RenFest. I've decided it is now Donald and I's song. The chorus goes:

Through the rain and through the snow
through the streets in my kilt I go
All the lasses say, "Hello!
Donald where's your trousers?"

Donald is changing his name to Fred...


So, as great as this weekend was...this week was horrifying. I had one of the worst experiences of my life on Tuesday, which I will not be able to discuss here for legal and confidentiality reasons. Lets just say I had no idea you could cry, hyperventilate and puke at the same time until I did it on Tuesday.

However, tomorrows Friday, so it's all looking up from here!

thirsty?

At the McDonald's on South National you can get 49 cent driks. Yep, driks. Sounds kinda gross, really.

perfection acheived

A day, spent in pajamas, curled up on a couch, watching football.

AHHHH.



I am even happy in spite of my boys losing, because they put up a fight and were in the game til the end. At no point did they concede. (And they played the Pats, so I wasn't watching to see a win.)

a better week

Last week went better than the first week of school. I am hoping this week is even better and we really hit our stride.

This week we got into some of our routines, and got comfortable with them. We hope that eventually our class can run as smoothly as it did last year.

quite a good weekend

I've really enjoyed Labor Day weekend.

Friday Donald and I had an all alone date, which was needed after the week I'd had. We went out to Nakato's and I really cannot remember the last time I ate there. It may have been for Hanna's birthday 3 or 4 or 5 years ago. We also went to Barnes and Noble and I got two books I have read snippets of everytime we've gone there for the last couple years.

Saturday morning I woke up early and drove to Lake of the Ozarks to spend the day with Nathan, my best friend from high school. It was kind of a make or break time for us. We've had some trouble communicating the last few years and I got a little fed up with feeling cut off. I had emailed him last in February and then decided just to walk away and see what happened. He asked me to come up to his sister's lake house while he was in town so we could catch up in person. I did, thinking we'd either come away knowing the friendship was still there or with closure. We mostly hung out near/in the lake for the first few hours, with his family near. Afterwards, we talked some up on the deck and the familiarity began to return. I had been unsure if I wanted to drive home that night or spend the night, and finally Donald told me I should stay and be safe. After everyone went to bed, we started really talking. After talking for half the night, we fell asleep, exhausted but happily aware that we were going to be ok. Well worth the trip. Losing that friendship has troubled me for several years. I'm glad to know I don't have to.

Sunday morning, I drove back to Springfield and then took a nap. After staying up half the night and then driving home, I was so tired! I woke up in late afternoon and then Bryan came to town. I've been very lucky to see him about 6 times this summer. We had dinner and went to WalMart and then came home and just hung out. Today, we had lunch with Donald and then went to Guitar Center, where Bryan got to buy gear that made him happy. Then we went to the zoo. I had not been yet this year, and I have always loved to go. Then we went to the mall (I needed face wash and bare minerals. I also stumbled on a handsoap sale at Bath and Body, 7 bottles for $20. I got some.) Bryan bought shoes, partly because he's a shoe lover and partly because the salesgirl was cute. We came home and hung out and then went to dinner with Joel and Heather. Good times.

Now, I'm home alone. Bryan left and Donald is at work. Also, I have to cook at home basically the rest of the month after all the eating out this weekend! (Although at the lake, Nathan's brother in law cooked, so other than half a tank of gas that trip cost nothing.)

All in all, I've had a very good weekend.

Ready for anything!

My room is painted, rearranged and decorated. I'm prepped and ready!

Here are some shots of what it looks like before the day to day living in it makes it look less than what it looks like now.
This is "circle time central." Weather board, calendar, class schedule, and lunch choices. The blank strips are going to be individual student schedules, after I take their pictures!






These are the ultra amazing seat sacks Hillery sewed for me. I got a great deal on the fabric, it is a denim with a silvery sheen. Very pretty! She made seven (well, eight, but our prototype did not fit), but she'll probably have to make me more soon...I am starting with six kids and another is expected to be placed within a week!
Crazy.



Here are mine and Deloris' desks. The table jutting out from my desk will be for small groups. The table you only see the corner of will be where the guinea pigs go.






This little alcove housed a file cabinet last year. This year, I am placing the time out desk and mood meter there. It's a much better location for children who are making a scene!






Bryan came from Arkansas TWICE to help with this project. Once to help tape everything off and once to paint. Is he wonderful, or what??

You can see the transformation happening here from dirty beige to light blue (it's really not as white as the picture looks. Its a pretty sky color).


Joel and Heather helped paint too...and even though the picture denies it, we were right side up that day.








My hallway display.







Over my door as you walk in. You can see the difference here in the hall color and my room color. It's still not a true depiction of my room color, but at least you can see that there is one.






Group table, with seat sacks. The pocket chart slides so I can use that part of the chalkboard, too. Way over to the right, you see my Plan, Do, Study, Act board. It's a new requirement due to CQI. I'm still not sure how it is going to work.

This is the back of my room, also. I flipped the room front to back this year to minimize distractions from students going to library and computers right outside my door.

Sage Riley

I finally got around to uploading pictures from my trip home in June. I thought I'd share some pictures of my nephew, Sage.


He loves bath time.










He sleeps really well at nap time. I was able to lay him down and shower, then blow dry my hair without it waking him up!




He always wakes up happy!














He LOVED to stare at Donald. Gabbie did, too as a baby. He's so cute, even babies notice it...



This one is my favorite.












He chews his fingers, but has little interest in his pacifier.









Mom and I bought him this super soft wooly mammoth at T-REX in K.C. He loved to chew it's head and rub it's trunk on his face.








He's a very happy baby. He smiles a lot. he looks so much like my brother it is crazy!







He fell asleep during a bottle, but his mean daddy wouldn't let him sleep and woke him up so he'd sleep at night.

traditions

Well, my (school) year almost always begins with three things. This year was no exception. I start by not being able to sleep well the night before, then wake up super early with good intentions of getting to work early, only to spend over an hour in the bathroom (TMI, I know) and finishing it off by throwing up.

I don't know why my body insists on being stressed enough to vomit just because school is starting.

It's really kind of irritating!

Sweethearts

I've always been a Johnny Depp fan (some of you may be aware of this), but today I found out something that further solidifies my adoration.

He, Jude Law (who is hot in a totally skanky way) and Colin Farrell (Oh, wait, that fits him, too...maybe more so) stood in to finish Heath Ledger's final film "The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus." The three decided not to be paid, but to donate their salaries to Ledger's daughter, Matilda. Ledger had not updated his will after her birth and there are doubts as to what she will recieve, as his father is kind of shady and is the executor.

I think this is totally sweet and the right thing to do.

(Side note, it is way past time for me to be in bed, as tomorrow is the first official day of work. Yet, I CANNOT sleep. It's always this way.)

final countdown

School starts in a week. Eek!
I still feel like I have a ton to do.

It does NOT help that tonight after taking Donald dinner, I could not go back to school because our lovely apartment complex notified us TODAY that TOMORROW the exterminaters are coming and our bathrooms and kitchens must be cleaned and clear. Oh yay. Thanks for less than 24 hours notice. Oh, well. I worked on that for 2 and a half hours and I must say the apartment looks much better. I do enjoy it being clean, I just hate that I was not getting my classroom ready tonight.

I did a lot of dishes and some laundry while cleaning. I also made a big batch of cranberry chicken salad tonight. With pita bread, that is lunch next week.

another reason to hate the writer's strike

Harry Potter 6 has been delayed until next summer, instead of this November.

This annoys me. The movie could be ready by November, but the strike means no new movies will be ready for the summer blockbuster season, so they're holding it.

Also, they apparently do not want the movie released while Daniel Radcliffe is starring in the play Equus, where he gets nekkid.

Blah.

Fall is in the air

I said in July that I was feeling ready for school. Then a couple weeks ago, that the summer felt like it was lasting forever.

Mother Nature apparently agreed with me. Since Sunday, the weather changed abruptly from summer to fall. Sunday morning was gray, chilly and drizzly. Sunday morning was October!

Between the weather and preparing for school to start, fall is definately in the air. It's a good thing. I love fall.

Fabulous Week

I had a great week. Bryan came to town twice in three days to help me, because he's amazing. Joel and Heather came to help tonight. My room is now blue. (Not exactly what I would have chosen, but pleasant and comfortable.)

I saw many people I have not seen in a long time, also.

I ate an omelette at an all night restaurant after bedtime.

I got all the rest of the things I need for the beginning of school.

I felt like I was in college, with no real pressing responsibilities...but yet still got things accomplished.

Ironies

My husband says on Wednesday, "I have not seen you in almost two weeks. DO NOT make any plans with friends this weekend, we are spending it ALONE. If our friends call tell them that. If they call again, I'll kill them and not be their friend anymore."

Then...the next day, Keith calls. He's in town from Boston. We've not seen him in many months and may not again for many months. So, Donald bends the rules and we have lunch with Keith.

Today, Compton calls. He's in town. I've not seen him for a year and a half, Donald for even longer. So we make plans with him.

Tonight, Keith invites us to dinner, and we are going out with him and his sister.

Because of the circumstances of them both coming from other states and not knowing when we'll see them again, he can't kill them or cut off friendship.

Somewhere, Murphy laughs out loud.

*Update* After writing this, we were on our way home from dinner and Joel called and Andrew is also in town, they are on their way over to hang out. The laughing grows louder.

*Second update* Andrew is now spending the night with us. Murphy's amusement is eternal.

Home with a phone

I got home last night. I was ready to see Donald for sure, but as I waited for him to get off work at 11, i noticed my life was suddenly much quieter. I miss the babies being around. Funny how that works with kids. You get driven crazy in the car from joplin to springfield, and 2 hours later, you feel all alone because no one is there to make noise.

Today, I went to Alltel, because our contract is up this month. Verizon recently bought Alltel, but does not take over their customers until January. I wanted to be sure to reup our contract to hold our rate, and our My Circle deal. Anyone still on a contract, and not just a month to month plan, will be grandfathered in and allowed to keep all their current contract perks until their contract expires. They can then go month to month on the same plan or get a new contract with Verizon. Verizon rates are much higher for a comparable package and has no MyCircle numbers. Those, along with free nights starting at 7, have meant that we use only 300 anytime minutes a month, which is fantastic. The only problem with our plan has been that we have no free texts...and lots of our friends have unlimited free texts, but not many minutes so they text us alot rather than calling.

So, I studied the plan rates and ended up paying the same amount for our two lines as before, only we now have unlimited text to Alltel customers, unlimited text to our My Circle numbers and 1000 other texts apiece. Our nights now start at 9, however, but I think with my My Circle, that's ok. There are very few people we have really long conversations with, and those people can be our free numbers. We will still use very few actual minutes (but we have 1000, as thats the lowest you can get with two lines.) I also, for only $2, added roadside assistance to our phone. Incredible value. I am much pleased with this.

And, of course, my new phone is blue.

Update

Still in New Mexico. Planning on returning sometime between tuesday and thursday.

Next week I am painting my classroom blue. Any volunteers? I am sad I did not get to choose the color, but the district will only let you get paint from them on their "approved pallette." I wanted light blue, but I have no idea if their light blue and mine will be the same.

School starts soon. That seems strange. This has felt like the never ending summer!

I bought my mom two presents today at a farmers market/craft fair. I now have to decide if I have the self control to save them for Christmas or not...

Poor Donald

My husband will once again be living bachelor style, as I am embarking on a road trip with Hillery and the kids to New Mexico.

Poor man has spent a lot of time alone this summer.

I'm glad he's so understanding.

My very least favorite person

This is Michael Savage, a radio host who has made headlines before for rants about immigrants, Jews, Muslims, gays, Democrats and nonwhites. Already, with just that, I pretty much hate him. I dislike people who try to rouse hatred for basically everyone unlike them.

But this week, his target is autistic kids. People who know me will know that the surest way to piss me off and make an enemy is to do or say something that hurts kids.

Some of this jerk's choice words about the kids I love and work to help are:

“99% of children diagnosed with autism are just a brat who hasn’t been told to cut the act out."

“My main point remains true. It is an overdiagnosed medical condition. In my readings, there is no definitive medical diagnosis for autism.”

"99% of the cases of autism were a result of lax parenting. They don’t have a father around to tell them: ‘Don’t act like a moron. You’ll get nowhere in life.”

"They should be told, “ ‘Straighten up. Act like a man. Don’t sit there crying and screaming, idiot.’ ”

Savage has said that he has no intentions to apologize for his remarks.

While saying he will not apologize, he is attempting to backtrack and say his comments were "misinterpreted." That "left wing stalinists" are not using context.

I do not care. Saying that 99% of autistic shildren need to be told they are "idiots" and should "act like a man" is more than enough for me to hate you.

Date Day

After spending a lot of time with friends last weekend, and being at Bryan's the weekend before, Donald and I had not had a whole day alone together since before I went to my mom's! That's a long time, so yesterday he decided we would see no one but each other.

We went to the art museum, which is under construction. We had to park right next to the construction zone. It only took us about an hour to go through the museum, because several of their galleries were closed off.

We left and decided to go walk at Springfield Lake. As soon as I stepped out of the car, I heard air whooshing out of our back tire. We looked and sure enough, in the construction zone (presumably), we had picked up a nail.

So, we immediately got back in the car and drove to Wal-mart to get it repaired. We walked around and then they paged us, so we went back to find out that the nail had broken a tread belt and the tire was unfixable.

An hour later, 1 new tire and nearly $100 less in our account, we left. We went home for a while and then attempted this date thing again.

We went to Hacienda and ate dinner. It was very good.

We went to the bowling alley...and then remembered I would need socks to bowl. Back in the car, drive to Dollar General. Buy socks.

We bowled and I bowled a 184...in two games combined.

We came home and watched Doctor Who and then Son-in-Law (because I had the "Steven Tyler PJ's" line stuck in my head.)

We enjoyed spending time with one another, even if the day kept getting strangely interrupted. I'm glad I married this man. Even disasters can be nice dates.

sweet treats...

Okay, I was given a tip for Guilt Free Chocolate "Mousse." Basically a tub of Fat Free Cool Whip mixed with 6 tablespoons Nestle Quik Powder. Sweet, chocolatey fluffiness for only about 45 calories a serving! (Problem...you have to force yourself to stop at one serving!)

Then, today I was given new M&M premiums. I had the triple chocolate and mint flavors...

Wow. Unlike mint muskateers, these were no disappointment. Would I be able to spend $4 for M&M's? Not likely. But would I eat them whenever available? Oh, yes!

I also found Hanna a recipe for gluten free flourless chocolate torte and now, I'm dying to try it.

Lots and lots of chocolate cravings. Bad, bad, bad news.

Clarification for those who doubted!

Today, when I opened my email box, I was greeted with a message title. This message said, "It's all about you, AMBER!"

Thanks AT&T, for recognizing what so many haven't!


(Okay, maybe not. But it made me laugh.)

I did not go to the gym yesterday, but I did swim and walk at the nature center.

Today I have swum and will go to the gym after I take Donald his dinner.

Gym

I went today, so no kicking required yet.

I also swam.

I am happy.

comment verification

I switched my comment verification ON. I had liked that no one had to wait to see their comments, but looking back, I realize I missed a lot of comments (especially from Leigh Ann). Because I did not have to approve them, they just appear and if I do not look for them I never know you commented. I have a habit of only looking back a few posts, but I realized some people comment as a far back as a week and I never see that.

I want to read your comments!! So from now on, I am still letting anyone comment, but it will have to be approved before it gets posted.

Public goal

It is summer. I swim a lot. I really like that.
I really need to get back in the gym habit, though. Swimming alone is not enough and I know it. I just like it so much better (and it's a 1 minute walk, not a 15 minute drive.)
Public goal: hit the gym 3 times between now (july 12th) and friday (july 18th).
If I don't, someone who reads this has to come kick me.

blah to the clouds

Make them go away! If I am to have a summer time, I want it to be sunny. The clouds can come back for the fall.

Gabbie quotes

So, another fabulous Gabbie quote has caused me to change my header. Taking the place of "When I grow up, I'm going to watch T.V. and eat cheese," which I still hold fondly in my heart.

housewifelyness

I've reached a conclusion. I could stay home and raise babies and be fine with that...but staying at home with no kids would drive me insane.

The ability to get up when I want and do things leisurely, particularly going out for a swim) is definately nice...but gets boring.

The last couple days, I've found myself trying to schedule my leisure activities just to keep busier.

I'd never make a good housewife/homekeeper.

Could you risk it??

A house near Bryan is for sale. I could never even entertain buying this house. Why? The names of the realtors.


It is being sold by realtors "Lorrie Crook and Mark Flake." Really?? Crook and Flake realtors?

Sorry, No.

Yay for Bryni!

I get to see Bryan tonight!

I bought another "Wild-N-Crazy," which is the firework that tried to kill us last time. We'll hope for better results this time. The boys wanted another one. I, on the other hand, will be standing far away when it is lit!

I also hit the 4th of July BBQ sale and got enough meat to feed us for the entire month for about $80, which is pretty phenomenal.

I bought Settlers of Catan, which is exciting.

I got my mom another shirt, but still need one more to spend the rest of the money.

Shopping expedition

My grandma decided my mom needs clothes that are not t-shirts. She gave me $100 and asked me to get my mom some nice clothes.

This is proving harder than it should be.

First of all, without her trying them on, it is hard to know if it will look good.

Second, I see a lot of things I like, but wonder if she would like them or not.

So far, I've spent $46...and gone to nearly every store in town. I'm running out of ideas for where to spend the other $54.

Any suggestions?

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.

Wii mania and the end of school

School's out!! WOOHOO! I am much looking forward to some summertime.

I called Gamestop and said "Do you have any Wii's?" He said yes.

When we got there, he had just sold the last one. Grr. 4 stores later, we were able to purchase a Wii for a slight markup from retail.

So, I now have my Wii. It is even more fun than I thought it would be. We are currently playing Mario Galaxy, we also have Wii Sports that came with it. Donald really wants Zelda.

Between my iPod Touch and my Wii, I am feeling quite Techy.

For the ladies only

Men, seriously, this is not applicable to you (I hope...)

Ladies, Fashion Bug is having a buy 2 get 2 free bra sale. The bras are $19-$21.00 normally, meaning you can get 4 for $40 right now. That's an awesome deal and they are cute bras, not plain ones. If you need bras, nows the time!

I had not bought any in almost 3 years, so the 4 I bought were much needed!

Amazingness

After reading a billion reviews and visiting a ton of stores, I purchased my new MP3 player tonight.
My research led me to narrow it down to 4 players.

The creative zen v:plus, the iRiver Clix, the Zune and the iPod Touch. They met the specs I was looking for, so I set out to search the stores. The only downside is I was unable to find any decent players that were blue. Alas, I was going to have to settle for another color scheme.

The creative zen v:plus was immediately knocked off the list because the all plastic body felt cheap and easily destroyable (and I tend to be rough on things, just ask my cell phone). Compared to the metal body of my old zen micro photo, the v:plus just felt flimsy.

The iRiver Clix is no longer available in stores in America, so bye bye iRiver.

Donald forbid the Zune, on accounts of screwy things microsoft is doing with the zune and their music store. The lady at circuit city seconded that saying a lot of zunes are brought back because they have a tendency to lock up and freeze frequently. They have a reset button inside just for that problem. (Which makes me wonder why they installed a fix it button instead of just fixing the problem...oh well.)

I got an iPod Touch. It is freaking amazing. I'm kind of in love with it, to be honest.

I was never in the iPod camp, because I thought their products were priced higher than others without offering anything better, just a jacked up price based on brand name recognition. I still feel that the shuffle and nano are easily not the best in their price bracket and you can get something with the same features cheaper. The classic I've never really researched, since I have no need for 60-80GB of space. However, the Touch is completely different than any other player out there...and far cooler. It's basically an IPhone without the phone and camera. I can play music, movies, store pictures, surf the web using wifi (which I did tonight just for fun), get directions from google maps, or check the weather in my area.

And it seriously has the most awesome interface in this universe to date.

Recommendations?

In June, I will by purchasing an MP3 player, as I lost my beloved blue Creative Zen Micro Photo in March and have seen no trace of it since. I can only assume my bad habit of not zipping my purse led to its disappearance. I would be more than happy to just buy another one, but they are no longer making the one I had.

Now I need to figure out what to get. So, tell me what you are using, along with the pros and cons (or what you think I'd like to use).

Must be at least 4 GB (that's how much space I was using out of the 8GB from the last one).

Would most likely not buy an Ipod, unless it truly is the best choice.

Would really prefer it be blue.

Other than that, I'm wide open.

**Update**
I've been reading tons of reviews and here are my thoughts.

The one I like best is iRiver Clix, but it is not sold in stores only direct from iRiver. Blah.

Ipod Touch looks awesome but costs way more than a lot of others.

Cowon D-something or other looks awesome, also, but is operated entirely by stylus, and I'm not sure I like that.

Creative Zen V:Plus is looking like the best of my options right now.

almost summer

It's getting close. Only 8 more school days left.

And then I will go to sleep, open my eyes and it will be August. It seems that way every year.

But, I look forward to some time with Donald, time with mom and time with friends. Summer is a good time to feel unpressured.

I'm ready.

Ranting time

I saw an article today, "First plus sized model takes home top prize on America's Next Top Model." I don't watch the show, but clicked on the article, as I was amazed they'd give it to a "plus sized" girl. Here are her photos. I am peeved that they are calling her plus sized. She looks great, healthy and normal. We wonder why little girls think they are fat and eating disorders ravage teenagers. Maybe because they are calling this "plus sized." Why? Because she has boobs and hips? That's not plus sized, that's called being female. I applaud this chick for going on a show where she was the largest one there, but I wonder how much it must have hurt her each time she heard herself referred to as "the first plus sized contestant." I'm glad she won, we need more normal sized models in the world.

laundry issues

So, whenever I use my dryer, it is fine unless the clothes get dry and the dryer is still running (because I do not know they are dry yet). At that point the apartment fills up with...steam? vapor? I don't think it smoke, since it does not smell. It is just a visible haze in the air.



Should I be worried?

oh what fun...

I took my class miniature golfing today. They had a blast, even though most of them had no concept of the fact that the ball should end up in the hole at some point.

However, on our way back to school, 3 blocks away, the city bus we were riding got rear ended. We had to sit for almost 2 hours waiting for the police and city utilites to make their reports and let us go. Our kids usually eat at 11:50, today they ate at 2:00. They were starving and cranky. The most frustrating part was being so close to school and not being allowed to leave the scene and take them back to school.

Biblical names?

Today there was an article about 2007's most popular names in America. Emily is #1 for girls for the 12th year, and Jacob #1 for boys for the 9th.

They go on to say Biblical names are big for boys, with James, Michael, Joshua and Matthew all having made the top 10.

After that they say the other names on the list are Ethan, Daniel, Anthony, William and Andrew.

I think they need to do a bit more Bible study, as most of those names also appear in the Bible, most notably Daniel, who has an entire BOOK named after him and Andrew, who was one of the 12 disciples. Ethan is also in the bible a few times, although more obscure than the other two.

I do not remember William or Anthony in the Bible, but the others are definately there.

For the curious, other girls names in the top 10 were: Isabella, Emma, Ava, Madison, Sophia, Olivia, Abigail, Hannah and Elizabeth.

Abigail, Hannah and Elizabeth are all Biblical, too.

For all the "unique names" we see in education, it appears most people are choosing quite traditional, almost old-fashioned names. None of the boys names are "trendy" and the only non-classic girl name on the list is Madison, which while not being an old name, is still quite mainstream.

P.S. I have a hard time typing Hannah with an "h" on the end after all my years of friendship with Hanna.

Kid quotes

Today in Sunday School, I helped the kids make gifts for their mothers. They had to tell me things they were thankful to their moms for. Some were standard issue answers like:
You read me stories.
You cook my food.
You love me.

One of my favorites was:
You stay home with me now, so I don't have to go to the mean baby sitter anymore.

Other highlights, however, were quite off the beaten path:
You buy me balloons in cages at party america that I can blow up myself.
You take me to picnics where there aren't hot dogs.

and the funniest:
You showed me how to make two worms by cutting up a big one.

hard day

Today is a hard day for me. Pray for me. That's all I'm going to say about it.

Accomplishments

If I've done nothing else this school year, I can at least claim these  accomplishments:

1. ALL of my students are fully potty-trained (maybe an accident every blue moon, but otherwise trained and in "big kid underpants").

2. I've had 10 school days in a row with no restraints, the longest spurt yet, and cause to celebrate.

3. I've helped a third grade teacher learn how to help a third grade boy who so desperately needed it.

The eyes have it

I've always thought this woman was gorgeous, ever since I fell in love with Mad About You. I still think so. But right now, I'm very proud of her. I watched her on Letterman the other day and was struck by the fact that, despite her career requiring women to not age, gain weight, or do any other normal human function, she is aging (beautifully) and letting it happen. She looks so natural. There is obviously no Botox, and I would say no cosmetic surgery, either. I LOVE the laugh lines around her eyes. They look adorable. Helen, keep it up!

The only other woman I can think of in Hollywood who is doing this as well as Helen is Susan Sarandon, and I think she is beautiful as well.

(On a side note, I recently realized one of the people I know that are my age has the beginnings of laugh lines in the corner of their eyes, and I thought, "Oh, that's cute!" Someday, I hope to have proof that I've led a happy, joy filled life. Although, if my mother is any indication I may not have wrinkles until I am much older. She still doesn't have them.)

another new word

This one's for Hanna.

A child just showed me a picture of Barbie dancing and said, "Look at the twirlerina!" I said, "Oh, a ballerina!" She replied, "No, no! Twirling twirlerina!"

So there you have it, on the authority of an 8 year old, you were once a twirlerina.

Ole!

My husband, after months of saving, was able to buy his beloved XBOX 360 yesterday morning. He's been happy as a clam ever since. He has a few games to play for now. He even bought me a game. It is Viva Pinata. Hanna said I'd enjoy it and I really do. Its like Sims for pinatas. I expecially like Mousemallow pinatas. (I still would like a Wii, though...someday.)

Also, for Cinco de Mayo, Qdoba gave away free tacos tonight. Donald and I, plus Hillery and her kids took full advantage of free chicken and steak tacos! We also decided next year, Donald and Joey are participating in the burrito eating contest. We've seen them eat burritos faster than the people who competed tonight.