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.