Adventures of City Penguin

2007-01-08T21:34:00.001-05:00

Warm

Cozy
Dreaming
Reaching out
Feeling him beside me
Curling up against him
Not wanting to let go...

Then the dreaded alarm
The clock changing to the hour
Aimlessing grasping at the air desperate to make it stop
Just 5 more minutes

Roll over
Lazy
Half awake
Looking over
He is still sleeping
So soundly
Can't disturb him
Get up slowly, quietly
Tiptoe to the shower
Silently dress
Look out the window
Still dark
So hard to leave
Kiss him goodbye

New Year Cleaning?

2007-01-07T14:52:00.000-05:00

I went to lunch the other day with 4 of my girlfriends. We ate, talked about the holidays, how much we are enjoying our time off (we are all teachers) and what we have been doing with our time. Out of the 5 of us, 4 of us have gone cleaning crazy and cleaned out all of the closets in our houses!!! What's up with that? Is there some kind of inner instinct about the winter that tells us to dig through our unorganized closets and purge? Weird.

Now, I didn't clean out all of the closets in my house. Just the main ones. Our bedroom, our bathroom linen closet, and the pantry closet in the kitchen. This still, however, took several days and I still don't have a solution for all of my shoes! Right now they sit in clear shoe boxes or in the original boxes on the top shelf in the closet, which, of course, I can't really reach. There must be a better solution than climbing up on a stool every morning! Anyway, just found that odd. Nothing says 'Early Bird' like Spring cleaning in January!!!

Multi-tasking Mania

2007-01-02T20:12:00.000-05:00

I have been house cleaning, closet emptying, scrapbook crafting, Rachel Ray cooking, dog walking, lesson plan typing, trying to catch up on my by-the-bed reading, birthday celebrating, holiday decorating, Christmas shopping, Christmas returning, camera downloading, movie watching, and hubby loving since...Thanksgiving, I think.

Yeah, I think that's when it all went down. Leave it to the hoidays to bring such joy all while sucking the LIFE out of you!!!

Hope everyone is doing well. I'm certainly ready for things to settle down and return to normal here. I had been doing pretty well with going to the gym~had even lost almost 10 pounds even~ before the holidays started. Anyway, bygones~

Here's to a new year! A year hopefully filled with lots of motivation, communication, and prozac-poppin' medication!!! :)

No, really, 2007 is going to be great! My puppy is officially house trained, my house is finally finished and feels lived in and cozy, my little sister is engaged, my job is freakin' fantastic (what a turn around, people!) and my husband is still as perfect as ever! Life is good!

Got Tissue???

2006-10-26T21:55:00.000-04:00

Can you believe that??? Z got the perfect shot of this sea lion sneezing at the aquarium the last time we went. It makes me laugh every time! Why did I post it (besides entertainment value for me, of course)? Because it also makes me think of the thousands of people who are talking my head off about flu season!!!

You just can't hide from it! It's on the news, my favorite morning radio shows, even in my fitness magazine! I know, I know. It sucks to get it and all that. But don't we know that already? Don't we already know how to stay healthy during the cold season? Oh, well. *sigh*

Z got his shot the other day at work. For free. Isn't nice to work for a company that not only pays for it, but also sends someone TO THE OFFICE to administer them!!! I, on the other hand, in the profession that is ranked #1 for catching the flu (I saw that in Real Simple mag today) have to go out on your own and pay for the shot. Sure, the county set up a nurse at one of the admin bldgs on our workday. All of the employees of 38 elem schools, 19 middle schools, and 20-something high schools were all supposed to drop everything (meaning the meeting that they MADE us attend that day) to go stand in line for the flu shot and pay $20 cash for it. Whatever. Still haven't gotten it...

So, how many of you have already gotten YOUR flu shot???

It's been a while...

2006-10-25T20:18:00.000-04:00

Thought I should write something. Pretty pathetic that I haven't done so since...September! Damn, that's a long time! I still try to visit other blogs and catch up, but now I'm so far behind that I just feel lost! I was just on Mimi's blog and she posted about having the blogging blahs. I also visited Pixie and she kind of said the same. So...here I am~ making a go of it!

Categories of my life in a nutshell:

Home: The house is FINALLY finished! All walls are painted, windows scraped and even some plant life out in the backyard! YAY!

Hubby: doing great. traveling alot. which is cool for him. not so much for me as of yet. i still get a little freaked out sleeping/staying/being in this house alone. It's old ('69) and it has a lot of 'settling' to do I am told...

Puppy: she is getting so big! She weighs 35lbs now! do you remember when she just weighed in at 12?!!! she is as sweet as ever. she has made lots of puppy friends over at the dog park. though, we are having a slight problem. she's so adorable that all of those boy dogs won't leave her alone! they chase her around trying to hump her! so glad she's 'fixed'/

Work: after all of that stress over this school year, I am ABSOLUTELY LOVING kindergarten! they are SO adorable and just plain fun! I laugh all day~ which is totally awesome!

Friends: the 2 k's are both pregnant (which I may have already mentioned). One found out today that she is having a boy and the other found out monday that it is official that she is pregnant. 9 weeks. Yeah, she started telling people a week after her missed period. I thought that was a little risky, but I guess it worked out for her! Peach is still dating and telling me the most hilarious stories! I'm having fun living the 'single life' through her!!!

Hobbies: haven't read any earth-shattering-good books lately...read a lot of 'work' books (yuck!). Finally got my desk in our home office set up for scrapbooking. :) I have a lot to do! According to my scrapbooks, Z and I are still on our...3rd date??? Yeah, we celebrated our first wedding anniversary this summer!!! oh, and I started at a gym a couple of weeks ago. I've lost 5 lbs so far!!! Yay! :)

so, that's what's up with me! hope everyone out there is doing great! loving the cooler weather and gearing up for the impending holidays that the stores WILL NOT let us forget are on the way!!!

Window Seat

2006-09-18T20:31:00.000-04:00

I have always loved the rain. Storms, even better. Thunder and lightning~ bring it on. I enjoy sitting by the window and watching it come down. It has a calming effect on me. Makes me nostalgic....

I remember as a little girl that I always wanted a window seat in my room; instead I put my trunk in front of it. My own little window seat. I wanted to sit and watch the world outside change as the rain came down. I would just sit and watch the beads of water drip down my window and puddle on the sill outside. I would watch leaves float by in little streams of water. I would watch my outside toys get 'washed'. The colors always seemed so much more vivid during and after a rainstorm.

Years later my interest in storms became a fascination. I wanted to know all I could about weather. I paid so much attention in science class. I watched every natural disaster movie there was out to watch. I couldn't get enough; couldn't tear my eyes away. It was always like knowing something bad was going to happen, but you just can't turn away. Kinda like that car accident on the side of the road. you know the one. The one that holds up traffic for miles because everyone wants to 'see' it. Is that just a natural reaction? Anyway, 'weather girl' was on my list of things I wanted to be. right up there with the usual: doctor, nurse, movie star, model, the list goes on and on....

Even now, as I sit here typing, the rain is beating on my windows. I turn off the overhead light and switch on the lamp. It feels cozy. The wind is blowing falling leaves past my window. I love that fall is finally here and the leaves are giving into the blowing wind. I even like the sound of the water splashing as cars drive by outside. The streetlight sends an orange glow my way. The raindrops are illumiated. It's beautiful, really. yucky to be out in, but great to watch from inside.

I still watch the rain... but now, I watch it from my very own window seat.

Nope, not me

2006-09-12T20:26:00.000-04:00

As a little girl, I dreamed of my wedding day. An outdoor summer wedding with a cool breeze in the air making the flowers in my hair blow as if they wanted free. A candle lit ceremony with a small group of friends and family. Simple flowers. Soothing music. A magical event I'm sure every little girl dreams of.

As I got a little older, with the wedding day dream still in the back of my mind, I began to date. Being the romantic that I was, I thought every (ok, not every) boy was 'the one.' I watched a lot of movies. I thought I knew what I was doing and what should be happening. Every boy was special and every relationship taught me a lesson. See, I was one of those girls who had a few serious boyfriends rather than a lot of boys I just went out with a few times. I learned a lot by the time I got to college.

In college, while friends were getting engaged all around me, I came to realize that I was looking for the wrong guy. I was looking for the guy to match the 'college me'. The me that thought I was supposed to be. The 'typical' college girl~ going out every night, hanging out at the frat houses, drinking and clubbing. I thought that was who I was looking for and I looked for that guy, everywhere. Luckily I figured that out sooner than later.

As I was finishing up grad school and making my big move to a big city in a new state, my boyfriend of 2 years or so began hinting about proposing. I got scared. It was what I always wanted, right? To be married and have that dream wedding? Nope, not me. He wasn't the one. It just didn't feel right. I broke things off with him and moved away.

I felt like such a failure for a while. I felt like I was supposed to leave college with a ring on my finger and shopping for the perfect white gown. I always thought that I would have my 2 children, dog, wonderful husband, and quaint home by the time I was 30. Who makes up these 'visions' for themselves?

I feel now that I have set myself up for disappointment. I am 27. I will be 28 at the end of the year. Don't get me wrong~ I have a great life and I couldn't be more pleased with the way it has turned out. I have everything I always wanted...I have my wonderful husband, my cute puppy, and my quaint home. But no children...

Three girls at work are pregnant and 3 more are trying to be. Nope, not me. I'm not one of them. I'm not ready. I'm secretly scared to death.

I am truly excited for them. I'm hosting baby showers and purchasing gifts and helping decorate nurseries. I am watching their bellies grow and hearing their stories of morning sickness and cravings and how their clothes don't fit anymore. I'm hearing about baby names and baby clothes and the benefits of breast feeding. It is all so fun and so, well, overwhelming.

I'm not real sure what exactly I'm so afraid of. I just know that it doesn't feel right for me right now. And I'm okay with that.

I think.

Maybe not.

I feel like I should be ready.

Isn't it time?

Don't I want to experience that maternal bond with a baby that is growing inside of me that will forever represent the best of Z and me?

Don't I want to hear my baby laugh and hear my baby say it's first words?

Don't I want to bathe my baby and sing it to sleep at night?

Don't I want to see my baby grow to be a wonderful person that we will always be proud of?

Everyone at work has baby fever. It's everywhere. There are 7 of us that are young and happily married. 3 are pregnant and 3 are trying. That leaves me.

I am constantly getting asked, "So when will it be your turn? When will we be planning your baby shower?" I laugh and reply "Not anytime soon...I'm not ready yet". Then the big one hits. "What are you waiting for?" I reply, somberly, "I don't know."

Fireworks and Funnel Cakes

2006-09-05T00:04:00.000-04:00

So the book festival celebratory fireworks and funnel cake adventure was great. For me. I loved my warm, crispy ~ yet soft, powdery funnel cake. Had to skip the beer (didn't think I could handle it with the meds). The fireworks, yeah, cool. For me.

Who all of this WAS NOT cool for was my poor pup Sadie. She hated every single minute of it. She walked around the square with us. Sat politely when friendly folks stopped to pet her and tell us how cute she was. Licked the hands of those who had been eating (she's no stranger to food!). But kids, yeah, she's not so sure about them. To the point of turning her little head away and making them cry. Isn't that mean!?!? She just doesn't dig them~ I don't know why. Oh well. She'll get over it eventually.

After we walked around we looked for a spot to watch the fireworks. We found a good one. A bench for Z and I and a grassy area next to us for Sadie. She likes to be under things, so she crawled up under the bush and laid in the grass with her head and front paws sticking out, watching kids skate by on skateboards and such.

Then the fireworks started. Oh my dear lord, my puppy freaked out! Tried to scamper far, far away like a scared little rabbit. Damn, that leash I'm sure she was thinking. She threw up. Twice. Z grabbed her and she fought to get out of his arms. He covered her little ears and we took off running toward our house. Only the cops had our road blocked off due to firework debris so we had to sit it out. The whole show. My poor pup.

Just when we thought we had found a far away enough place to wait it out and the fireworks seemed to die out and Sadie calmed down a bit, they started up again. An encore. Great. Sadie was better, but still wouldn't leave Z. My good little dad-in-training hubby made a cozy area for her between his body and a rock wall (she likes closed, covered spaces) and he covered her ears and sometimes her eyes for the whole show. I took pictures. yeah. I'm real helpful like that.

Finally it ended and we walked home. Well, we kinda ran home. She knew the way and she was ready to get there. Poor thing. We are such bad puppy parents! Z thinks we traumatized her for life. Surely she'll be fine. So, I guess fireworks on new year's eve is out for this pup...

What goes up....

2006-09-03T18:27:00.000-04:00

...must come crashing down...

I am sick. Again. Just when things were going so good. I swear, when it hits me I am so freakin' pathetic! I am whiny and sleepy and groggy and, well, you get the picture. Not a fun person to be around.

However, as of right now (well, when i finish writing this) I am getting my lazy ass up and taking a shower. I'm gonna wash that sick feeling right off of me and get out of this house and have some fun. It's a holiday weekend, people! I have 4 days off! Yes, Tuesday, too!

I can not let another sinus infection slow me down. Who cares if I am dizzy and I feel like I'm talking into a tunnel? Who cares if I can't smell or taste my favorite Thai takeout that Z brought home to me hoping it would make me feel better? I'm gonna go get cute and we're gonna head to the square for the wrap-up of our city's first annual book festival where they are celebrating with bbq and fireworks. I'm gonna drink a beer, get a funnel cake, and forget all about this stupid cold.... I have plenty of meds to help me with this!!!

Hope everyone is having a great Labor Day Weekend!!!

Hello!

2006-08-29T20:27:00.000-04:00

My little world has been so crazy lately. Hate that I've been away so long. Things are slowly settling down and my real life can soon resume.

We got moved in, little by little, to the new place. We are still unpacking, but I hear that you will unpack for years, so I'll just take my time! I can't describe how amazing it feels to come home to our own place. Such a relief. Oh, and as of last Thursday, our sex life was revived. I got an 'all clear' from my doctor. The surgery went well but I must continue to go for checkups every 3 months for the next 2 years. And no baby making for at least 6 months. (not a problem here!!!) So, yeah, we hadn't had sex since our anniversary at the end of June. Uh-huh. That's a freakin' LONG time!

Aside from sex, we are enjoying our digital cable, the restaurants and starbucks down on the square, and working in our yard. wow. we have a yard! crazy! I must say, you guys that pull weeds are something else! I am still sore from pulling weeds Sunday afternoon! Even Sadie couldn't stand the heat after a while! She took refuge under some pretty pathetic looking hydrangea bushes. Can you believe Sadie is 4 months old! She weighs 26 lbs already! She's still as sweet and cute as ever! Oh, and we FINALLY got the internet up and running about 2 weeks ago, right about the time school got going in full swing.

Yeah, school started at the beginning of August. I found out during pre-planning that even though they moved me from first grade to kindergarten, they now don't know what I'll be teaching as there have not been enough kids register. Fantastic, I thought. I moved classrooms and everything... Oh, well. Fortunately many kids registered and I currently have 25 kindergartners. Yes, that is WAY over the class limit, but my county sucks! They say that a new teacher will have to be added. Hopefully soon. I had NO idea how much they DON'T know in Kindergarten! It's been super fun, though. They are a cute bunch and they keep me on my toes!

So yeah, I'm hopefully back for a while. We're moved in, the puppy's good, the sex is good, the freedom is good, my cancer cells are gone, school has started and I'm teaching Kdg. Now, you know, of course, that NONE of this happened easily and without crazy crap happening!!! But anyway, that's where I am right now in a nutshell!

Just One Last Rant...

2006-07-28T23:53:00.000-04:00

Oh, Dear LORD! So many people! Just one more night before we move out. We can do this!!!

Friends, let me just list here for you the people sleeping in this house tonight.

Ready?

Are you sure?

Here goes:

* Mr. and Mrs. In-Laws
* Sister-in-law & Husband
* Annoying as shit 12-year-old cousin (not mine)
* Weird Mr. and Mrs. Aunt & Uncle (again, not mine)
* Basement Biatch & boyfriend
* Sister-in-law's dog

THEN... Me, Z, and Sadie.

Did you catch all of that???

Yes, you added that correctly. Including myself and Z, that makes 10 adults, 1 child, and 2 dogs!!!

Have I ever mentioned that I'm a bit of a private person???

One last reason to be SO FREAKIN' READY to move outta here!!!

Moving Day has Arrived

2006-07-25T21:29:00.000-04:00

...Or at least been scheduled!!! The movers are moving us in Saturday morning!!! The very much anticipated day is almost here! You all KNOW that this can not come soon enough!

Sorry to have been so slack on blogging, but I have had to spend every single solitary second of free time working on that house to make moving in before school starts back a reality. School starts Tuesday. So we're getting in just in time!

I can't wait to get back to my 'normal' life! This summer has involved not enough hanging out, watching tv, exercising, reading books/mags, shopping, etc.... and WAY TOO MUCH painting, scraping, peeling, priming, sweating, lifting, hauling, ladder-using, fast-food-eating, etc...

Hooray for Moving Day!

The Drive Home

2006-07-15T10:13:00.000-04:00

* Doors slamming shut.

Car engine starting.

Backing down the driveway...

Giddy Silence (from me!) *

Z: Ok, what did you think?

Me: It was what I thought it would be.

Z: that's it??!!! That's ALL you have to say about it?

Me: Sure. (for now, I'm thinking!) What did you think?

Z: ummmm...I don't know. It was a house. 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms. Kitchen. I don't know.

Me: Yeah, the bedrooms were tiny.

Z: SEE! I KNEW you had more to say!!! Ok, let me hear it!!!

Me: Oh-my-god! I was going to try to keep it in, but I just can't!!!

Ok. I like the outside appearance (which is what drew me to it when we were house-shopping months ago). But I HATE the inside! Who thought up that sorry ass floor plan!?!?!

Who puts a staircase SO close to the front door that you have to step aside to close the door for fear of knocking yourself down onto the steps?

And did you notice the pedestal sink in the downstairs bath?

Z: uh, the what?

Me: the sink. The crooked sink. Can you believe that it is crooked! How weird! And that bathroom is chocolate brown. Like Brownie brown. And it wasn't even a good paint job (cuz I notice shit like that now that I'm an 'experienced' painter!!!)

And speaking of paint. What idiot paints and entire house the color of...what is that color? Skin? It was yuck!

I liked that cool big window upstairs. The one with the half circle window thing on top? But who in the hell wants to be sitting on the toilet looking out the window at the passing cars!!?!?! Who puts a cool ass window in the batroom next to the toilet and the garden tub??? A porn director???

And what was up with that weird fireplace in the middle of the wall? It had those 2 colums on either side of it and they stopped midway up the wall. What do you do with that?

Oh, I'm sooooo glad that's not my house. It's just too weird.

Z: uh, yeah. But I liked their new grill...

Good grief! ...Men!

Mixed Emotions

2006-07-13T13:14:00.000-04:00

We have been invited to a birthday party/house-warming party tomorrow night. Sounds fun, right? A little cake, ice cream, mixed drinks, games, gossip, all that stuff.

Here's where the problem lies. The party is for the friends who stole our house...

Yeah, I'm so freakin' dramatic! They didn't steal our house, per say. I mean, they put an offer on it first, blah, blah, blah...

Anyway, Z kinda doesn't want to go. They moved in last weekend and her birthday is tomorrow and they're gonna be all happy happy with their new house, while we closed on ours in June and are STILL not living in it. He's afraid I'm gonna get all jealous because they moved into a house in 2 days and aren't having to do any work to it and I've been bitching and moaning all summer about all the crap we have to do to ours to be able to live in it. Basically he's dreading the drive home afterwards!!!

But me? While I can see his point, I also see a great chance to see what they did with the place (or NOT did as the case may be~she's a white walls kinda gal whereas I like color, just to give you an example) and then talk shit about it when we get in the car!!! :)

Besides, I'm over it. Who cares. Our house is bigger and better and in a totally cool neighborhood and I love it. Really. They're gonna regreat moving that far out in the suburbs!

But, on a different note, What do I get my chipper-house-stealing-friend for her birthday???

Where's my paint fairy?

2006-07-12T15:14:00.000-04:00

Um, yeah. Who the hell paints in a tiny white t with a strong, handsome blond hottie on their back??? Not in MY world!!! I mean, I don't need to see her tatoo while she paints. And what's up with Fabio? He needs to hold her while she paints. She's on a freakin' ladder! She's a big girl! I'm sure she can figure it out. It's not like she's playing golf or tennis and 'needs help with her swing' {eyelashes blinking all flirty-like}

So, yeah, anyway, painting in our house is more like old clothes, paint spatters in our hair and all over our skin, sweat dripping off of us, and lots of sighs of frustration~ not that 'lovey dovey painting crap'. I'm on to them! No sexy painting in my house. Hey...maybe that's what's missing... hmmm...

Ok, I'm off to the house to paint some more. I keep putting it off. It gets later and later every day. Before Sadie, I would go in the morning and stay till that evening. Then I would go right after lunch. Now? Yeah, it's 3:15 and I'm sitting at the computer! I'm so over it. I just want it done so I can move in and get on with my life. Yes, I know it won't get done unless I go over there and physically do something.

So, like I said, "Where's my Paint Fairy???"

Escape Artist

2006-07-11T13:58:00.000-04:00

Oh, Sadie, my sweet, little Sadie.

Who knew that you had gotten SO FREAKIN' BIG in the 18 days that we have had you!

There I was, just typing away on the computer, thinking you were having a nice little nap in your little pup tent, when, what do I hear???

Little paws tapping on the hardwood floors and the jingle of your cute dog shaped tag!!!

No~~ It can't be!!! She's SLEEPING! I call your name, quiet at first (so that if you really are asleep and I'm imaging things, then I won't wake you up).... and you come bounding up the stairs!!!

NO WAY!

I zipped you up in your pup tent. Didn't I?

So here you sit in the doorway with your cutey cute daisy collar on and your head cocked to one side. You're laughing at me, aren't you!?!?

I see, you finally figured out how to jump out of your 'sunroof', huh!?!?

Smart dog.

*no, that's not my Sadie. Sadie is a cute little black lab puppy. I just don't have my camera handy to get a picture of HER like this.*

Just for Fun

2006-07-10T14:27:00.000-04:00

My name is: georgiabelle

I may seem: shy

People who know me think: I'm creative and organized. Sensitive. Loyal. Fun!

If you knew me you'd probably: go shopping with me alot. meet me at the coffee shop for a yummy drink. watch a lot of girly movies.

Sometimes I feel: lonely

My days are pretty: monotonous. I'm so ready to quit renovating and move into the house already!!!

Yesterday: I was sick. Sore. Headache. tired. skipped out on painting at the house...stayed home all by myself...in an empty house...it was fantastic!

In the morning I: play with the puppy and watch Gilmore Girls at 11 am

I like to sleep: on my stomach with my mushy pillow with Z right beside me...especially when it's storming

If I could be doing anything right now I would be: on my first date with Z...or maybe our wedding...or on an island far, far away with all of my friends partying and getting some sun!

Money: sucks! there's never enough! we're getting better at managing it!!! Yay!

One thing I don't have that I wish I did is: a more positive, optimistic attitude

One thing I have that I wish I didn't is: worries about my health and an 'apple' figure!!! :)

All you need is: LOVE!!! and friendship. and cute shoes. :)

All I need is: friends and family to love and support me unconditionally

If I had one wish it would be: for my dad's cancer to be cured

Love is: the best thing in this world...calming, safe, frustrating, peaceful, happy...

If I could see one person right now it would be: my dad...I worry about him alot

Something I want but I don't really need is: a new car ( I really want a BMW X5)

I live for: laughing and joking around with friends and family...but also for quiet, peaceful times to myself!!!

I am afraid of: losing someone I love, not being able to have children, people not seeing the real me, not having close friends

It makes me angry when: people assume rather than ask

I dream about: finally living in my newly renovated home with Z and my pup, Sadie

I daydream about: traveling, losing this 'comfort food' weight that I have gained so I can look cuter in my clothes!

Thank you

2006-07-09T22:54:00.000-04:00

Thank you all for your comments on my last post. Once I get on a roll, I just can't stop. And thoughts do snowball when you're already stressed and tired! I would say I'm sorry for getting all sappy, but I can't, cuz that's what this blog is for. For letting it all out. I know you understand that. :)

Your words were very encouraging and comforting and most appreciated.

My dr. appt. is later this month. Z is taking off work to go with me. He wants to be supportive and he has some questions he wants to ask the doc. I'm sure things will be fine... it's this 'in the meantime' time that's tough.

And maybe if it wasn't for the in-laws, tons of out of town guests, the house renovations, the new puppy, the new grade level/move of classroom thing, and my dad's health issues, maybe I wouldn't be taking this so hard!!!

Thanks again for your encouragement! :)

Midnight Ramblings

2006-06-30T00:12:00.000-04:00

Can't sleep. Should be able to. The puppy wears me out all day. She's sleeping. I feel like a zombie. Waking, walking zombie. Gotta get used to this 2 am, 4 am, 6 am wake up call for potty breaks for the pup. Don't know how I'll ever make it with a baby...

I hate painting. I have a blister from the paint roller thingy. It hurts. I have Killz primer in my hair, on my arms, legs, feet, hands, and my eyebrow. Yes eyebrow. I suck at painting. I mean, we had to paint the freakin' ceiling! Do you know how much paint splatters when you paint the ceiling?!?

Had a Starbucks java chip frappachino at 10pm. Maybe that's why my stomach is feeling bubbly. Maybe that's why I can't sleep...

Watched an E Hollywood story thing this afternoon on Nick Lachey. He's so hot. Love his blue eyes. He got teary when talking about Jessica and the life that he wanted and still wants to have~the whole 'family guy' that he wants to be. I got a little teary, too.

Is it normal to cry with TV characters? I got teary at an episode of 'Full House' and '7th Heaven' today, too. Stephanie had a 'heart to heart' with her dad. Lucy's friend died in a car accident. Lucy blamed herself.

Getting teary again thinking about that Stephanie Tanner and her dad.

I don't have a close, well, to be honest, much at all of a relationship with my dad. He lives in Thailand. Has been out of the country since I was...what, 13? It's been, like, 15 years I think. Seems like forever. Like I never even knew him. He missed my whole growing up stage. Wonder if he'll miss the adulthood stage, too. He was here for my wedding this time last summer. Found out after he left to go back to Thailand that he has cancer. He is staying there for chemo and stuff. I'm scared that my wedding could be the last time I see/saw him. Everyone tells me it won't be. That he will be fine. But there I go with the 'glass half empty' approach to stuff. It just scares me. I know now that people aren't invincible.

It's interesting how your life view changes as you grow up. As kids, you can do anything. You won't get hurt. Your parents will always be around. Your friends, family members, pets~~ they'll all always be there. But then, you lose 4 classmates in a car accident right before Christmas. Your childhood pet has to be put down. Your grandfather (who you never got a chance to know and still feel guilt about) dies. You find out that you have precancerous cells on your cervix and may not be able to have children. Your dad has cancer.

Adulthood is scary. You know now that anything can happen...

...Good Night...

Botanical Gardens

2006-06-28T20:12:00.000-04:00

Thought I'd share some of Z's photos from the Botanical Gardens where we went Sunday for our anniversary. It truly is a beautiful place. A huge, maticulously sculptured lawn with a very intricate design of flower beds. The flower beds were full of all sorts of colorful flowers and buds.

On the property, we toured the Rose Garden, the Herb Garden, the Indoor Garden (where we saw plant life in a desert environment and tropical environment), the Japanese Garden, and....what was that last one called??? I can't remember. The day was a blur. Why? Because it freakin' stormed!!! It hasn't rained here in what--- a month!!! So the weekend of my anniversary when we have outdoor events planned, it freakin' pours. Not just a quick shower. Oh, no. Lightning, thunder, hard rain. The whole nine yards. So we didn't get the best tour of the gardens, but at least it satisfied my curiosity!

Oh, just noticed the pictures I have saved on my computer. So I don't have that many of the flowers. Just a cool one of the lily pads. However. Those other ones you'll see. Yeah. Random, huh! That was the exhibit we went to see. It was called "Come Play" by an artist by the name of Niki something-really-long. She used ceramics, glass, mirrors, and some other stuff (you artsy people could probably tell me!) to create these 'women'. "Women are to be celebrated" she says. But, yeah, these were all over the grounds, too. They had info at each one telling what it is and all that, but we didn't take the time to read it! :)

The Fifth Sentence

2006-06-27T09:45:00.000-04:00

I found this today and thought it was pretty interesting. Here's what you do:

1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the sentence in your journal along with these instructions.
5. Don't search around and look for the "coolest" book you can find. Do what’s actually next to you.

"We all sin in our dreams with people who wouldn't remotely interest us in our waking lives."

I grabbed Z's book, Snow, written by Orhan Pamuk. I'm quite intriqued by this quote. It's true, really, isn't it???

Surprise!

2006-06-23T19:51:00.001-04:00

Imagine my reaction when this cute little bundle of joy surprised me today! Z knew I wanted a puppy (as did you all!) and thought that she would be the perfect anniversary gift for me (us, of course). :)

She is a black lab and is 6 weeks old. Her name is Sadie. She is super sweet and sooo cute! She is a licker, not a biter (a plus) and is, of course, a bit of a chewer. She has cuddled with me and followed me around the house all afternoon. She loves to run out in the yard and chase the leaves when the wind blows! I just love her! What a fun anniversary gift! Isn't Z the best!!! :)

The pictures aren't that great (since I took them as opposed to Z, the photographer), but I'll post some better ones soon. :)

PS. Our First Anniversary is this Sunday, the 25th. This is just part of my gift... the rest starts tomorrow. A night at the Four Seasons, dinner at a fabulous Italian place we've been dying to try, and tickets to the Botannical Gardens (where I have always wanted to go!) This weekend is going to be fantastic!!!

New Neighbrhood Details

2006-06-21T16:14:00.000-04:00

I can't post pictures of our house, yet because Z has them on his computer and I'm still down at Pissy's, so I'll get to that later this week. But until then, I thought I'd share some details about the neighborhood and what we'll be up to and stuff once we finally move in!

So, details about our new neigborhood! We are in a cutey, cute suburb half an hour-tops- from the city we used to call home. Really, this suburb is a city within a suburb or a suburb within a city. It's kind of city-like with it's walking-friendly layout.

We are 2 blocks away from the town square where all of the hip and trendy shops and restaurants are, the post office, and our church (maybe now we'll attend more). There are coffee places galore and a very good school system (that I will be trying to get a job in soon!) and also an active community of friendly folks!

They have lots of events on an easy-to-find city schedule. Events such as wine tastings, Octoberfests, Concerts on the Square, parades, 5k and 10k runs, and all that kind of stuff. And it's all within walking distance!!! Oh, and we have a historic park in our backyard (well, out past our backyard) that is now a dog park. So, of couse, you know I'll be wanting a puppy next! :)

5 Things Tag ~ Travel Edition

2006-06-20T12:03:00.000-04:00

Pissy tagged me with the '5 things' yesterday, but since I am not at home with my fridge and closet, I thought I'd wait and do it next week when I'm back home.

So instead, I give you, 5 things in my Suitcase (which I have been living out of now for 21 days!)

1 totally worn in favoritie denim skirt

2 cute swimsuits with adorable gauzy cover-up

3 books (Mary, Mary~James Patterson; Goodnight Nobody~Jennifer Weiner; Catch Me When I Fall~Nikki French)

4 Winsor Pilates DVD's

5 pairs of shoes (3 pairs of flip flops, 1 pair of Nike's, 1 pair of bling-y sandals)

It should say "SOLD" !!!

2006-06-19T11:16:00.000-04:00

Yes, my friends, we closed on our new house last week!!!! YAY!

This means SOOOO many things for georgiabeau (Z) and I! Let me just list, like, the top 5 things we're most excited about!

1. Sex when we want it, where we want it!!!

2. Invited guests ONLY~no random people coming and going!!!

3. Our OWN closets!!!

4. Our own bed and couch and, well, all of our stuff actually

5. An active sex life! (did I mention that already! b/c with the inlaws, we pretty much cut ourselves off and so you can imagine the excitment about this one!)

Is there anything else more important, really!!!??? I mean, yes, quality time together, blah, blah, blah! I know! :)

The Softer Side of City Penguin

2006-06-18T11:16:00.000-04:00

Dear friends,

Thanks for visiting my new home! I love the changes that I have made to my blog. Let's be quite clear--the changes that I asked PIXIE to make to my blog!!! Isn't it adorable!!! Pixie is the best!!!

I so very much love my new look here. I felt that with my move out of the city and into the suburbs, it would be a good time to update the blog. My web address will stay the same, but my display name will be different: georgiabelle. I thought it went with my 'new life' better! :) Change is good, right!?!?!

Love,
georgiabelle (aka. city penguin)

I'm here!

2006-06-15T19:12:00.000-04:00

In an attempt to get out of the house, Z and I decided to house/dog sit for some friends that were on a 2 week mission trip to Africa. Only downer, I later discovered, was that they didn't have the internet! So, today was our last day there and now I am at Pissy's place with WIRELESS! YAY!!!

I have LOTS to 'back blog' about but I'm gonna help Pissy cook up some yummy spaghetti and visit ya'll first!

More soon!

Week 2

2006-05-22T19:05:00.000-04:00

Well, things at the in-laws are not going as well as I had hoped and prayed. Imagine that. Everyone "told me so" and I kept saying "oh, but they are SOOO wonderful! It will be great!". Yeah, uh huh. What was I high on???

Let me start at the beginning. One thing I never told ya'll was that there is a girl (let's call her "the bitch") living in their basement. Yeah. Random. She is Z's sister's friend from college. She got evicted from her place and was crashing with Z's sister and her husband. Only lucky sister~ her 'friend' has a thing for her husband so Z's mom wanted to get her out of there, naturally, so she moved her in here. In the basement. With the agreement that it was only until she could get back on her feet. She is staying here totally rent free and has been here for...are you ready???..... a year this month!!! Can you believe that crap!!!?!?!?

So 'the bitch' is a total bitch, hence the nickname (I'll get to that in a minute). She is living in Z's old room in the basement (you know how guys are...they all move out of their 'little boy' room and into the cool, dark basement in highschool). So Z's old room is now the office, and his most recent room is now occupied by the bitch. Following me so far?

Since the bitch is in Z's old room, we are having to live in Z's sister's old bedroom/bathroom. Of course, before we could move into it with all of our crap, we first had to free the room of all of her childhood memoribilia and box it up, label it, and move it to the attic. That took a weekend. Then we had to move our crap in. Imagine a 27-year-old couple living in your childhood bedroom....yeah, pretty tight fit, right! Uh, yeah, thinking about the closet yet??? It's AWFUL!!!

Well, unfortunately for us, we have too much crap. We filled our storge unit to the brim and had some overflow, so we had to bring it here. It's in the way, I realize that. But what am I supposed to do about it? I have tried my best to 'fit it in' to the existing decor, and Z has tried his hardest to squeeze it in to the basement (the other side of it), but still. It's kind of everywhere. So naturally his parents, particularly his dad b/c his mom is pretty laid back, is pissed off and frustrated that the house is more cluttered than usual. And it's getting ugly. Like mean comments about it and crap like that.

I feel like the comments and crap that WE are getting is all because the bitch is still living in the basement. for some reason, no one tells her anything, and is instead taking their frustration with that situation out on us. But my feeling is that I am the daughter-in-law and Z is their son. They have to live/deal/love us until they die. The bitch will hopefully move out soon never to be seen again. So...what's the deal!

I want to bitch the bitch out. I almost did Saturday when she and her boyfriend were living it up in OUR HOUSE! She is not courteous (coming in all hours, not cleaning up after herself, etc) and she does not speak to us. I mean, it's Z's house! if you don't want to speak to me (cuz you know I hate you) then fine. But at least have the decency to speak to the person who has a right to be in his family home! Good Grief!

I could really go on for ever about this (and I probably will in future posts) so I am sorry to bore any of you who read this far. I am just so incredibly disgusted with the bitch. It's making our new living situation way harder than it has to be. Below is my brainstormed list of ways that her being in this house are causing me trouble:

1. She is living in Z's bedroom. Hence, we cannot be.
2. B/c she is in his bedroom, we have to be in his sister's bedroom.
3. B/c we are in the sister's bedroom, she now does not have a bedroom here when she comes to visit her parents.
4. She is nasty. She leaves dirty clothes and towels all over the bathroom.
5. She is taking up the space that we could have used to store our 'extra' stuff. We would not be catching flack for having our stuff all over the house if we had that space.
6. She leaves her laundry in the washer/dryer for DAYS. I WILL NOT get it out to do my laundry. Z finally did Sunday and he took it all and threw it all in the door of 'her' room. I would not have even done that. That was too nice.
7. I would not be getting woken up when she decides to grace us with her skanky presence.
8. There would be more parking available for me.
9. There would not be random people roaming around the house scaring the shit out of me when I thought I was home alone.
10. There would not be a boyfriend staying the night here making Z call his childhood home a 'whore house'

Ok, I'm done. For today. Thanks for letting me vent. Hope you are all doing better than me!!!

Lucky Me

2006-05-17T15:34:00.000-04:00

I'm standing on the playground in the awesome spring weather watching my kids play at recess. I notice the little cliques of kids~the girls digging in the sand, the boys playing tag, the kids taking turns turning the big jump rope, etc... when out of nowhere, a soccer ball hits me right on the top of my head making me jump out of my skin!!!
I turned around and 6 boys are standing there-frozen-with their eyes as big as saucers and their hands clamped over their mouths. I lift my hand up to rub my head, and my favorite pair of sunglasses falls off into my hand--in 2 pieces with one of the lenses popped out.
I looked. Just looked at the boys. Not even with a 'teacher glare' and then one of them cracked. Started crying. Right there on the playground before I even said a word. "Oh, Mrs. P. I'm SOOO sorry. It's all my fault. I saw it was going to hit you but I was too scared to tell you!!!"
Good grief. The tales of elementary recess. We have scrapes and bumps a lot. But never me! First time for everything! Guess I need to look up a little more!!! But, man, I've gotta headache.

Why Hellooo....Lover

2006-05-15T19:25:00.000-04:00

God I LOVE Sex and the City! Why did it have to end! I saw Chris Noth (Mr. Big) on something the other day (Law and Order or something) and it just brought all of those Carrie and Big episodes back! Anyway, that is SO not what I was gonna write about today. It just hit me as I typed in that title. And speaking of, do you ever feel as if blogging and the 'blog world' is like an affair??? Blogging is my lover... I am totally feeling that way now that we're living with the inlaws. The LAST thing I need is for them to find out about this. Not that it's racy or anything, and I haven't bad-mouthed them (yet!!! j/k) but, you know.... Anywho...

So, yep, finally moved. It's all over. For now. You know how it goes. The second we get settled and into new routines, the house thing will work out and we'll be movin' again. Oh, well. Last week was rough trying to work, then drive to the apartment and finish going through old random crap and pack up the little piles of stuff all over the place. I gave SO much to goodwill. I figure, if I don't remember owning it, wearing it, or buying it, then it's not that important to me but maybe can/will be for someone else. We have given LOTS this year. We never get a receipt, just drop it off. That always bugs me in the back of my mind. Am I supposed to be getting one? Anyway, that's neither here nor there. Good news is just that we are finally done with our first home and the deposit refund is in the mail! Yay!

I must say, the first 2 nights here were really rough for me. I had a mini-meltdown. I couldn't sleep and I kept thinking about our routines that no longer made sense. You know the little things, like, "Honey, did you double lock us in? Did you turn down the air? Did you leave the little lamp on in the bathroom? Did you set the alarm?" Then the more intimate stuff that I just can't write about since my mom reads this!!! Sorry Pissy! I thought about that too late last time! But anyway, Z was great about it and it actually made him feel good b/c apparently he didn't realize how much those little things meant to me. So, it was a whole 'awwww...how sweet' conversation. He says we'll make new memories and new routines and yada, yada, yada (Yeah, snagged that from the Seinfeld episode I just finished watching--I'm a late blooming Seinfeld fan!!!)

The drive to work is KILLING ME! It's taking me 45 minutes to get there and about an hour to get home. Now, I know for some that's normal or even not that bad. But for a medium maintanence chick who is NOT a morning person and has to be at work at 7:20, IT SUCKS!!! The other afternoon there was a wreck and it took me an hour and a half to get here. I thought I would die. But you know the perks of us living with the inlaws here for a while, so as I drove through their pretty neighborhood and pulled in the driveway of their "Father of the Bride" house, I quit my bitching!

Well, I'll stop here as I don't want to drone on with my nonsense. I've bored you enough already. I just wanted to say hi and let you know I'm back and I can't wait to catch up on what's been going on with ya'll! I have an hour to do that before the Grey's Finale starts! Don't forget to watch it!!!

2006-05-01T18:33:00.000-04:00

Yeah, that's right. We're moving. And no, we didn't buy a house. We're still looking for the perfect one. But our lease is up, and we don't want to be stuck in a lease when we find the house of our dreams.

So, where are you moving, you ask??? To Z's parents house. Yep, moving in with the in-laws. Yeah, I'm nervous about it. Yeah, we talked about it and just can't think of a better option. Mostly because, A) No rent. B) no committment in terms of length of stay. C) Can save major money and pay off our credit cards. And it's a georgous house! We got married in the backyard! It will be relaxing not to have to clean and stuff (yeah, they have hired help). Maybe I'll get spoiled....

But anyway. We are really hoping to find something before school starts back in August, but if not, definitely by Christmas. I would LOVE to be in my first house at Christmas! Have the whole family over...decorate.... the whole 9 yards!

But, it's gonna be weird, I think, as I have not lived with any parents, including my own, in 7 years. It's gonna be weird not to be able to 'do my own thing' ~ you know, cook when I want to, walk around in my underwear, clean at random hours of the night, etc.

And Z, I've told him, the sex life is gonna change drastically. I mean, it's gonna be a little 'ewwy' gettin it on with his parents across the hall! So too bad for him!!! Guess he'll be planning lots of weekend getaways!!! Or, we'll be sneaking around like teenagers!!! :)

So, I won't be a true City Penguin anymore, at least for a while. We're moving to the 'burbs. Just 20 minutes out of the city, though it is going to tack on some extra time to my already 30 minute commute to work. yuck. The movers are going to be here at 8:30 Saturday morning. I'm gonna miss this place. Our first 'home' together as a married couple. We have such a cool view of the city skyline, great location around neat neighborhoods, restaurants, shops, and parks, and all that. Looking back, I wish we had done more, you know?

But, anyway, that's why I haven't been posting much lately. We've been packing and making arrangements for the move. I'm sad to have to pack up all my cute stuff! You get used to being surrounded by your stuff, you know? To put it all in boxes and into a storage unit is just sad. But Z promises that it won't be for too long.... I hope he's right!!!

Today's form of dieting~

2006-04-25T21:25:00.000-04:00

Sinus Infection. I think I've got one. I seriously woke up gasping for air. Nothing is getting through these nostrils. I had a horrid hoarse voice. Itchy, red eyes, tender areas under the eyes and around forehead. You know the feeling. It sucks!

Every year Spring rolls around and I want to make it my favorite season of the year. Then a couple weeks in, this hits. Knocks me on my ass. Worst thing about it~~ It takes away the ability to smell and taste food!!! So, I'm thinking, 'Why Eat? Shouldn't waste the calories on food I can't taste!!! Bring on the spinach and oysters and everything else I hate! Now's the time to try them out!' :)

But today I had planned a yummy dinner for Z and I. His favorite~ Carribbean Jerked Tilapia, fresh steamed brocolli, mediterranean couscous, and a salad with spinach dressing. I ate it. Hope it was good. :) Hopefully this goes away soon!

PS> Feeling a bit loopy right now. To try to get rid of this stuffy-ness, I have taken 1 benadryl allergy tablet, 1 claritin tablet, 2 sudafed decongestants, 1 Emergen-C fizzy drink, and 2 puffs of my Flonase thingy!!! I have got the energy of a kid on a sugar high!!! I have cleaned the bathrooms, vacummed the house, folded laundry, paid bills, and washed some dishes!

I don't think it's for me...

2006-04-24T18:57:00.000-04:00

Was talkin' to Southern Peach today about exercise and how I gotta lose some weight. Same old story. Poor Peach! :)

She motivated me to walk today. I hit the gym in my building. I was the only one there (I actually left work at 3:30 today and was in the gym by 4:15). Anyway, TV to myself, green mini iPod on my hip, started walking. Hit the incline to 3% and set the speed for 3.8. Within minutes, I'm scanning the screen. 'O-mi-god, it's only been 3 minutes. I've only walked .27 miles. Only burned 28 calories. Good grief! I'm so bored. This TV show sucks. Change the channel. News. Informercial. Oprah. Cartoons. iPod. Don't like this one. Not in the mood for this one...' You get the picture! It was the LONGEST 40 minutes OF MY LIFE!

I don't think I can handle the treadmill! I used to make it 45 minutes on the eliptical and not even realize it. Of course, I was lots skinnier and not worn out from my job as it was only my first year teaching. Oh, well.

So, what do you do for cardio? I need to change things up, I think. This treadmill thing isn't gonna work for me, I don't think.

A Heaven of Tea

2006-04-19T21:29:00.000-04:00

I had to give up the rapid daily addiction of coffee... it was too much for my tummy and head to handle! Too much caffeine, I guess. Now I save it for Saturday and Sunday mornings. Anyway, my new favorite addiction is tea!
We were in the Apple store at the mall a while back and spotted this tea store, Tevana, across the hall. We went over, sampled some of their stuff, and was immediately hooked!

Tea has a ton of good-for-you benefits/qualities! We have tried the Green Tea, everyone talks about it, so we thought we'd start there. Green tea is famous for anti-oxidants, cleansing, and preventing cancer. Other benefits are... to help to prevent cancer, lower cholesterol, regulate blood sugar level, good for digestion, prevent cavities and aging. So, hey, that sounds good! And it was...it really was!

Our most recent purchase was rooibos (mate vana, to be exact). It's an herbal tea. Really light and tasty! The benefits of herbal tea, besides the fact that they are caffeine-free, are that they are high in vitamin C and antioxidants. I feel healthier! :)

So you have got to try loose tea. Get you a cute little teapot and track this store down! They have 35 stores (check out their website). Oh, and we got this cool 'perfect teamaker' designed by them. It is the size of a 12 oz coffee mug with a built in filter at the bottom. You put in your leaves and sugar (we got their German Rock Cane Sugar which is sooooo cool!), you add your boiling water, let it steep for like 5 minutes, then drain and drink! YUM!

TV Tidbits

2006-04-17T16:35:00.000-04:00

Have I ever told y'all how much I love to curl up with a blanket on my cozy red couch and watch TV? Well, I do. Even if nothing is on, I find some random rerun to watch or a cheesy movie on Lifetime or USA or something.

Shows I must not miss are:
Monday:
Tuesday: Boston Legal
Wednesday: LOST and Invasion
Thursday:
Friday:
Saturday:
Sunday: Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy

Sometimes I'll catch House, M.D. on Tuesdays or Cold Case on Sundays. I kind of want a show to watch every night. See, I have some gaps up there... So recently (as in last night!!!), I have added a new addiction to my weekly TV schedule.

What About Brian. This show aired last night on ABC. I guess it was the pilot episode. I got hooked quick. It's about 6 couples all in their 30's I guess, and the lovely 7th wheel, Brian (the oldest brother on 7th Heaven). In just the hour long episode last night, we were introduced to a married couple with 3 children who are having trouble with their sex life and considering an 'open marriage', Brian's sister and her husband who just had a miscarriage, Adam and his pediatrican resident girlfriend to whom he proposed to last night, and Brian, the 7th wheel who dates around looking for the 'perfect girl' (becuase he is in love with Adam's pediatrician girlfriend/fiance) and deals with all of his friends trying to set him up all the time. This all happens while they are dressed in super cute clothes, driving nice cars, and living in cool houses in LA (I think it's LA anyway). You must try it if you didn't catch it last night! Last night was a sneak preview, tonight is the season premiere. ABC 10/9c.

Oh, and for those of you that are ALIAS fans, it's back Wednesday!!! Final season!!! Sydney is back from maternity leave to kick some ass and hot Michael Vartan comes back from the dead!!! Well, I was not able to watch every episode in the past because it kept getting moved around and then it finally interfered with LOST or Invasion, so I am kinda lost with the show. But I did see the last episode last year when he got shot by the train tracks in that warehouse area... so I thought he was dead. Apparently not. Yay! He's hot and she's one of my favorites, so I am DEFINITELY watching the 2 hour season premiere Wednesday night! It's pushing LOST out for a while, but it's ok!

Happy TV viewing! I can't wait for 'my shows' this week!

Oh, btw, Invasion is back Wednesday night with more craziness and hopefully some answers to what the heck is in Dr. Blondie's tummy and see how many lives her weirdo Police Captain husband can take. Oh, and I wonder what detective work our cutie pie Russell will be up to. Maybe more hybrids on that remote island he and Dave found a few weeks ago??? "Re-Evolution" airs Wednesday, after ALIAS, at 10/9c.

Ok, I'm done! Enjoy your TV week! :)

Dear Mr. IRS Man,

2006-04-10T19:05:00.000-04:00

As you probably noticed, I am not good with numbers. I hate math. Hated it all the way back to elementary school. Only too bad for me, because my husband, who is good at math, is bad with responsibility and getting things done in a timely manner.

So...I apologize for not taking the responsibitlity to write a big fat check to an accountant to handle our taxes this year and just do them myself. We had a lot of changes, with the marriage thing and all. And also that student loan deduction. And that bit that I get to subtract for my teaching supplies. I guess it was just all too much for me.

As you might have guessed, I was not the happiest camper at tax camp when I figured out our refund (and thank goodness it was a refund!). Yes, there was some disapointment. Some tears. Some anger towards my sweet, sweet husband because I just KNEW it was his fault we weren't getting more money back from you.

However, you came through for me. I don't know how you did it. Or why you did it. Maybe you liked my name or something. But that extra $1000 dollars you found for me is so very much appreciated. You saved my newlywed marriage. Really. You're the best. I also liked how you waited 7 days to send me an official letter to tell me that you fixed my 'mistakes'. I loved having that cash in my account. I felt a little villainish. Like someone who found money lying in the street and took it when no one was looking. It was fun.

In closing, I would like to thank you again for the magic you made with our tax return. My freshly de-stressed husband thanks you to. Promise!

You're the best!

Sincerely,
City Penguin

I think I need a

2006-04-09T17:50:00.000-04:00

Vacation from Vacation!!!

I am so tired. What is it about a vacation that wears you out? Aren't the purpose of vacations to revive you from your already worn out life?

Don't get me wrong. Our ski trip was FABULOUS! Our condo was awesome--fantanstic view of the slopes, very cool interior decorating job, top of the line kitchen appliances, 2 balconies, hot but, and a great view of the ski lift from our bed. Now THAT was relaxing.

But now, getting home after a full day of travel is exhausting. Hauling overstuffed suitcases through airports and off and on shuttles and stuffing it into cars...I'm worn out. Then to leave it at your front door, walk like a zombie to your bed and pass out--only to find those suitcases staring you in the face first thing the next morning!!! Yuck!

We've been doing laundry all day. So many clothes. Ski clothes are so poofy, too. Hard to wash. And I'm tired. Did I say that already? My clock is so messed up. We left for Colorado on Daylight Savings day then traveled into Mountain time (which is 2 hours back from us) then right when we were getting used to the altitude change and time change, vacation time is over and it's back to Georgia!

I don't want to work tomorrow. I need a break. Guess that was what Spring Break was for, but really, I am worn out!

I'll get back with ya soon on some pictures from our trip. There are TONS! Hope ya'll had a great week and weekend! It's back to the norm for me tomorrow!

Sorry it's been so long....

2006-04-03T20:04:00.000-04:00

since a new post!

Hey, y'all!

It's me!

Pissy!

City Penguin asked me to do a post for her~ to let y'all know what's going on with her.

Lucky Penguin that she is.....she is currently in Breckenridge, Colorado for Spring Break. She'll be there for a week.

Learning to ski, sightseeing, taking lots of pictures, hanging out with Z's family..... That kinda stuff.

City called me this evening and said she'd had a great first afternoon on the slopes.

The morning......not so great.

But our City was a little trooper and went back to ski school and actually likes sking now!

She's even excited about tomorrow!

I'm sure she'll have lots of stories and photos to share when she gets back~

So check back here next week!

Lifted from Sunny... :)

2006-03-20T20:39:00.000-05:00

Which Grey's Anatomy Character Are You?

You are Isobel Stevens. You are very sensitive and sympathetic, yet sometimes you let your feelings get in the way of the bigger picture
Take this quiz!

Z predicted I would get Isobel. I figured I'd be the annoying waif Meredith! (no offense, Sunny!!!) But, Pissy and Z agree that this is me!

Take it and tell me who you are!

I hate this...

2006-03-15T20:23:00.000-05:00

Standardized testing. In elementary school. Particularly early elementary. Especially in the first grade. Putting 6 and 7 year olds in front of a 50+ test booklet for 2-3 hours everyday for a week is pure and total hell. Torture. For EVERYONE involved.

We are giving the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) this week. It is a gruelling standardized test given to students starting in first grade. They have to sit in their wee tiny chair, behind an 'office' to keep eyes from wandering, with the number 2 pencil that they can not eat the eraser on or tap on the table with, and listen to the teacher drone on for hours at a time while they try to comprehend it all, understand the horrible testing 'language' and 'bubble in' answers in a massive test booklet.

I feel so bad for my kids. Their little attention spans can't handle this pressure. They have whined. They have thrown up. They have cried every day this week. And we still have 2 more days to go!!! (And then we do it all again next month for the CRCT!!!)

I hate this week. They are just too young for this.

WTF???

2006-03-12T19:47:00.000-05:00

Z and I took a nice walk in the park this afternoon. Strolled by the TONS of kids on the playground, the kickball game going on, frisbee players, groups with their coolers and cards, moms with strollers, etc, etc, etc....
Then we walk past a big family (and friends) under the pavillion. The kids are playing on blankets and the adults are all under the pavillion cooking up some fantastic smelling hamburgers/hot dogs/ribs and such on the grill.
And then, to RUIN the wholesome park experience for us all.... up drives a big @$$ SUV, complete with spinners, tinted windows, etc... windows down and parks this thing with this song blaring from within:

I'm In Love With A Stripper - T PAIN
[Intro]

Goddamn Lil Mama
U know u thick as hell u know what im sayin
Matter fact
After the club u know what im talkin bout
Me and my niggas gone be together u know what im sayin
I aint gon
Yea u know
U got them big ass hips god damn!

[Verse 1]

Got the body of a goddess
Got eyes butterpecan brown I see you girl
Droppin Low
She Comin Down from the ceiling
To tha floo
Yea She Know what she doin
Yea yea yea
She doin that right thang
Yea yea yea a ea
I Need to get her over to my crib and do that night thang
Cause I'm N Luv wit a stripper

[Chorus x2]

She poppin she rollin she rollin
She climbin that pole and
Im N Luv with a stripper
She trippin she playin she playin
Im not goin nowhere girl im stayin
Im N Luv with a stripper

Yep, sure you've all heard that one. Lovely. That's all I'm sayin'. WTF.

Fresh From the Garden

2006-03-11T18:10:00.000-05:00

Not my garden, of course. My mother-in-law's garden. She has an awesome garden; one like I hope to have one day. She took me on a 'tour' of the garden, introducing me to so many different types of flowers and plants--most of which I couldn't tell you again if you asked. She has a ton of stuff in her professionally landcaped yard. It's truly georgous (which is why we got married in it last summer!!!) She has a whole area devoted to herbs. Lemon Balm, rosemary, thyme, basil, and mint-just to name a few. Then she has an area of rose bushes and butterfly bushes mixed in with an array of beautiful things that I will probably never learn the names of. But she cut me some of the daffodils, as they were the only ones blooming right now, and sent me on my way. They make me happy, so I thought I'd share them with you! Hope you are having a great weekend!

One Thing Leads to Another

2006-03-09T22:35:00.000-05:00

Even in cleaning. :(

I was laying on the couch reading the new Jennifer Weiner book and reached over to the coffee table to pick up my glass of sweet tea and saw it. The HORRENDOUS layer of dust covering my glass top coffee table! (*Gasp*) Oh my! Can you imagine anything worse!?!?! (*roll eyes*)

I got up, cleared off the piles of crap all over it and started dusting. Dusting led to cleaning all surfaces with either Windex or 409. That led to vacuuming. Then to running the dishwasher. Then to cleaning out the fridge. Then to taking out the trash. Then to starting laundry. Then to putting away shoes (I keep all shoes in shoe boxes. I am so OCD about this!). Then the closet and laundry turned me to sorting out stuff for a goodwill donation!!!

OMG! Now I am seriously worn out! Heading to the shower and then my pillow! I'm gonna claim cleaning as my cardio today!

Thai Me Up

2006-03-08T20:55:00.000-05:00

Z got back in town from Miami just in time to take me to dinner! YAY ME! It's just not the same without him here...he owed me! He left Tuesday morning at 4:30 AM and suprised me this afternoon by having took an early flight to be home when i got here from work! (He's a sweetie).

So anyway, we headed to our favorite fast-food-ish Thai place. It's a fun place where all of the Thai dishes are served in bowls. It's relatively cheap, but tasty. Cheesy music playing and a nice, big outdoor dining area complete with twinkle lights and fake trees. There's always an interesting mix of people that come in there. It's a great place to go to get good food in a laid-back atmosphere without the whole 'waitress' deal. Until today.

We walk into the joint, ready to go to the counter to order our usual Spicy Basil Rice Bowl and Chang Mai Noodle Bowl and, out of nowhere, this chick dressed in black stops us. "dining in our taking out?" she asks. I'm like "we're eating here... but..." Then Z is like "Whoa, whoa, whoa..what's going on here? It's so different!"

It took me a minute, but I looked around and noticed sleek black tablecloths on all of the tables, complete with a little oil candle holder deal on each table, for the 'romantic' look, I guess. The chick proceeds to tell us that they are working on some 'changes' for the place and that they are still in the 'training stage' as they have just started this Monday.

So we got to be guinea pigs. The chick turned out to be our waitress. Very nice girl, but obviously never been a waitress before. Brought us our drinks with like, 3 ice cubes in it. No napkins, straws, silverware. But got our order right and she was extrememly friendly, so all in all, it was good. The whole thing just took us for a loop. Change is weird sometimes.

I did it!

2006-03-06T18:02:00.000-05:00

I walked. Exercise. Wow. Didn't think I'd ever make it back on that bandwagon! I went today after work. Came in, changed clothes, grabbed my iPod and left.

As I was walking, it felt so good, so easy. I actually ran part of my route! And when I hit the spot where I usually turn to head home, I was feeling so good that I just kept on going! YAY!

It was so nice out today. The warm sun, cool breeze, birds chirping...and when I walked through the park, I was suprised with 2 kites! It was a great day for a kite, but it still surprised me. I love to watch kites fly. They are so graceful, effortless. I slowed my walk and just watched for a few minutes.

It was cool. So, yep, I did it. I was gone for about an hour. And with such a good experience, I may just do it again tomorrow!

I'll be sleeping tonight...

2006-03-05T20:13:00.000-05:00

Thank you all for your kind thought, advice, and encouragement the other night! I have been SO stressed, and I am prone to panic attacks, so that's not good! Anyway, Z and I got up early Saturday morning and I laid it all out for him, at his request. He could tell I was stressed and needed to talk. And so we did. It was long. Tears were shed. But decisions were made that make us both feel better.

Turns out he was stressed too. He was going through with the house hunt because he knew how bad I want a house. He just started a new job last month and is stressed getting situated there. So, turns out we were both secretly stressed out and trying to please each other. We talk all the time, but I guess we're still learning how to communicate about some stuff!

We decided to put off the house hunt for a while. Buying your first home shouldn't be so rushed. We don't want to buy a house just to buy a house. You know?

As for work, we decided I'll stay one more year and during this year, really look into a place that I would like to make a move to. Update my resume, network at church and stuff, and see where I should be that would be a good match for me.

I'm going to visit my dad. Ready or not, here I come! (In July, I think!) I need to be there. I think he needs me to be there, too.

So, lots of deep breaths later, I feel better, Z feels better. Everything is out in the open, laid out on the table for discussion and review. We can do this!

We spent the weekend making plans and setting goals for what we want to accomplish in the near future. It will help. Then we hung out with friends, had dinner with the in-laws, and worked out in the yard on this beautiful day! Must say, the sky seemed clearer today...

And yes, I'll be sleeping tonight!

Can't Sleep...

2006-03-04T01:08:00.000-05:00

...clowns will eat me. Why is that the first thing I think of when I say I can't sleep? Good grief! I am SO freakin' tired. I need to be in bed. I do. Really. But I can't focus on sleep. I can't let my mind stop racing. I'm hot. I'm cold. I'm thirsty. Gotta pee. I try not to think, then I end up thinking about not thinking. My mind won't stop.

I can't count sheep. I can't listen to music. I don't want to read (my eyes are already tired). I don't want to keep Z up by talking to him. The TV is on. "Just Shoot Me" on the WB. The sound is nice, but not helping. In college I would only be able to sleep with either a) nyquil or b) the soothing sound and color of the weather channel. Maybe I should try that. I just want to lay down, close my eyes, and sleep. Why can't I?

I know my body is tired. This week has been awful! I thought that after a week out of school that this week would be great. The kids (and I) would all have a break from each other, the ones that were sick would have a chance to get well, etc. But no. Unfortunately not. They are still at each other's throats. They don't have the same rules at home that they do at school (and they shouldn't!!!) but when they return, they forget that they are not the center of mom and dad's attention anymore. That I am one adult with 23 children, not one mom or dad with 1, 2, or 3 children at home. They wore me out this week. Anyway, enough about that. It's over now.

Body tired. Eyes hurt. Still too wound up to sleep. Thinking....

~ feeling guilt for not exercising again this week (this tummy is not going to magically go away!)
~ did our taxes tonight. why do you put SOOO much in to get SOOO little back! It's incredibly disappointing!
~ took a nap afterschool--maybe that's why I can't sleep now
~ meeting with our realtor in the morning to look at a few houses. i'm definitely excited. and scared. and anxious. don't know what to expect. first time doing this.
~ teaching contract for next year due by next friday. stay or go? probably stay. don't want to deal with the thought of finding a new school right now. stay in first grade or change grade level? my closest friends are on my grade team. that's cool. don't want to move to 2nd (my dream grade!!!) cuz then i'd have this year's kids over. NOOOO!!!
~ need to save money and plan my trip to Thailand to see my dad. He is sick with cancer right now. Want to go see him this summer when I'm out of school. glad i have my passport already. have no idea what it will cost me to get over there. will he want me there when he is sick, or would he feel too obligated to be a 'tour guide' and he can't be? too much pressure for him? Or relief that someone else is there?

Sleep, sleep, sleep.... good night to you all.... hope you have/are having/had a wonderful night's sleep!!! I'm off to try again!

Weekend Update

2006-02-26T19:20:00.000-05:00

FRIDAY: After mega sleeping in (I chalk it up to the road trip home!!!) I finally get my lazy butt out of bed and meet my friend K at the mall for lunch and shopping. Had a fantastic panini and caesar salad and fresh squeezed lemonade. Then did a few shopping musts for the day: stroll through the Apple store, the Nike Women store, Ann Taylor Loft, and the Gap.
Then on to more serious shopping: Anthropologie. My ABSOLUTE favorite store EVER! Everything in there is so freakin' cute! From the dishes, to the bedding, to the furniture, to the clothing, to the cool earrings and other accessories you almost miss amongst the other awesome stuff! K always tells me that I have a 'Anthropologie' house and she and her hubby have a 'Pottery Barn' house. It's true! Only my stuff mimics Anthropologie (furniture wise at least) 'cus the store is crazy expensive.
Last stop is Macy's to try on cute shoes. All of the spring
sandals are out already!!! I used to not really care for the 'wedge' look, but now I'm loving it! Ohh, and the 'embellished' sandals--fabulous!!! All of the beads, sequins, and really cool rock/stones (especially turquoise ones) are soooo cool. These are some of my favorites!

After my shopping excursion, I sat in lovely city traffic for a full hour to travel my usual 15 minute drive home from the mall and then Z and I went out for Thai (our favorite!!!) YUM!

SATURDAY: More sleeping in. What's wrong with me!?!? All I do is sleep! Oh well. It's my vacation, I'll do what I want! Z and I went to a local bike shop and finally picked up our bike helmets (we have had a gift certificate since Christmas for them!!!) and then, since it was raining and we were out, we rode around our neighborhood and checked out some of the surrounding ones. I like exploring!
That night, we had a couples shower to go to. It was at one of those pottery places. The couple picked out the pieces they wanted and the colors they liked, then each couple chose a piece to paint for them. It was really fun. I had never done that before and always wanted to. Z and I are both pretty creative so we enjoyed it. Z wants to go back and paint something for ourselves. They had these cool noodle bowls with a hole already on the side to slide chopsticks through. Hard to describe, but cool.
After the pottery painting, we headed to a local bar for some drinks and dancing. It just so happened to be Mardi Gras night!!! Good thing we had beads and masks for such an occassion! The music was loud, the bar was crowded, and the drinks were tasty! We ended the night with a round of 'car bombs'...

SUNDAY: Oh, yes, you have learned my pattern! More sleeping in (yeah, had a bit of a hangover), then out for some fresh air. We took our bikes and new helmets out for a ride. We were out for a few hours, finishing our ride with Hawaiian Pizza from a local pizza joint!
And now, the Dancing with the Stars finale and then Grey's Anatomy, so I must go.... besides, I gotta go to work tomorrow!!! :( This week off was great!!!

Road Trip Ramblings

2006-02-23T18:19:00.000-05:00

So I left Pissy's house around lunch time to make the dreaded trip back to the city. Alone.

I hate driving alone for long periods of time. I don't mind my 30 minute commute, but put me in a car for much longer than an hour straight, by myself, and I am in my own personal hell.

Let me just ramble on here about my top, I don't know..., 10 reasons why I hate solo road trips.

1. Singing your heart out with your iPod and 'car dancing' alone... well, technically alone 'till you see the big truckdriver guy smilin' and dancing in his cab...ew....

2. Yep, you guessed it. Number 2 are the dirty old truckdriver men. Praying on young girls...alone it their cars...with out of state tags...blowing kisses and honking their horn at you...

3. Passing school busses full of high school students. Why are they so obnoxious!?! They make signs "You're hot!" "Can I ride?" "Call Me 555-5555". Ugh. I'm over high school BS, boys! Why aren't you making out with a girl on the bus??? Isn't that what you're supposed to do on busy school nighttime field trip bus rides???

4. Slow drivers. Enough said. Actually, no it's not. THE SPEED LIMIT IS 70!!! WHY ARE YOU GOING 60 IN THE FAST LANE!!!???

5. Wrecks. Now, I know things happen. I understand that. But what I don't understand are the people driving past the wreck that feel the dying need to slow down and crane their necks to check out what happened. DRIVE ON ALREADY!!! THEY DON'T NEED AN AUDIENCE!!!

6. Construction. Is there ever a good time of day to close lanes, re-route traffic, merge lanes, and block off sections of the interstate??? NO. NEVER. Somehow, without fail, no matter what time of day I travel or what day I travel, I always get stuck in at least one traffic jam due to construction.

7. The mid-life crisis guy driving the k-fed fire-engine red sports car. Usually convertible. With the top down. Sunglasses on. What's his deal? Shouldn't he be at work? Or, if retired, on a beach or a lake or something? Why cruisin' the interstate?

8. The teenagers tail-gating. Y'all, that's just dangerous. They have the windows down, music blaring, cell phone talking friends piled in...chasing each other down the road, cutting you off to stay behind (or speed ahead of) their friends.

9. The competitive driver. You know the one. He/She is cruisin' along fine until you go to pass them. Then, oh hell no, they don't like that! Suddenly they speed up, so you can't pass! ooohhh, HATE them!

10. Having NO ONE to complain to about all of this!!! There's no one to say "omg! Do you believe what that chick just did??? Could she have gotten any closer??? She almost hit me!" "Ewww...did you see that guy? Why is he honking at me???" You get the picture.

So, yeah, there's 10 reasons why I hate solo road trips. I need a road trip buddy. I need a dog. He, or she (I'm an equal opportunist pet owner/lover), can ride shotgun and wag it's tail to my Black Eyed Peas "....turn up the radio, blast the stereo, riiiiide out..."

Glad to be off the road now, btw. :) Missin' ya already, Pissy!!!

The New Look...

2006-02-22T21:03:00.000-05:00

Hello friends!

Been working on this new template most of the day (off and on, you know, in between eating, running errands, and watching TV!). I tried to make my old one work, but the font was so tiny and I couldn't get the margins to open up...so I thought I'd just try a new one.

What do y'all think? Is it too turquoise? Should there be a second color? What about the font?

There are sooo many numbers and lines...I don't know html AT ALL so trying to do this has been total trial and error thing.

If you get a chance and feel like it, let me know what you think...I am too involved now to be objective!!!

Bad Hair Day...for real

2006-02-21T21:45:00.000-05:00

Y'all, I'm tellin' ya. This hair is AWFUL! I can't take it anymore. I need to pull a Natalie Portman and just shave the poof off of my head ('cept there's NO WAY I could pull that off!!!)

For those who don't know me personally, I have naturally curly hair. Serious curls. I'm talkin' tight tiny ringlets. Can't put a brush through it. College boyfriend used to hide quarters in it. Got teased growing up with the afro. BIG BAD CURLY HAIR!

Now, you know how it goes. If you have straight hair, you want curly. If you have curly, you want it straight. After YEARS of pain and agony with my hair, I finally forked up a lot of dough to get it chemically straightened (you know, the Japanese method thing--thermal reconditioning, I think it's called).

2 years (or so) ago, I had it done. Freaked out after. Whoa, Nelly! This stuff was straight! Stuck to my head! Flat! I could brush it! It blew in the wind! WOOHOO!

At first, I lloooveeeddd it! It was so pretty!!! I could do lots with it...braid it, flip it, toss it, be flirty with it! :) Little did I know, straight hair is such a bitch! How do y'all deal!?!? The products, the time spent blowdrying, then straightening...ugh! I spend so.much.time on this head of hair.

2 weeks after I had it done, I met Z. He is a photographer and had an assignment at my school in my classroom to photograph our govenor's wife reading to my class. I remember that day well. I had on my cute kahki dress pants, my white 3/4 length fitted shirt, cute earrings, shoes, and I wore my hair wavy that day with bright red lipstick (somewhat like Rachel McAdams in RedEye). He had on navy pants, checkered polo dress shirt, big camera wrapped around his neck, tousled hair, soulful brown eyes...WAIT WAIT!!! I am WAY off topic here! Sorry!

So anyway, the day we met, I wore my hair curly/wavy. It was cute. He liked it. We flirted. He asked me out. You get the picture. He comes to get me on that wonderful, perfect first date day, and my hair was straight. He just kind of stood at the door and looked at me for a minute, I think wondering if this was the same girl from the classroom (he says no, but I think so!). He finally said something about it...like "wasn't your hair different when we met?" (guys--they're so funny!!!) Anyway, I told him the whole hair story and we went about with our date and the many dates there after.

As time progressed, Z admitted he had a thing for curly hair. (of course...) He proposed (in my classroom where we first met, mind you!!!) and I told him that after the wedding, I would grow my hair out so it could, once again, be curly...

The things you do for love. That's all I'm gonna say. This past year has been HELL! I'm half curly, half straight. Frizzy. Messy. Yucky. I spend LOTS of time on it and I get it lookin' good, but, damn, I miss the days of giong to bed with it wet and waking up with curls and heading to work without much fuss!

I'm hoping it will be back to 'normal' by this summer. I can't take much more of this. Oh, and to top it all off, I drove 4 hours to the 'Circle of Hell' to spend time with Pissy and get this afro mop cut, and Hair Guy was sick!!! So instead of getting it cut Monday, I'm now being fit in tomorrow for a wet cut. No relaxing head massaging shampoo or the joy of letting someone else spend forever straightening this mess! Oh well. At least he can cut some of the frizzies off!!! :)

Dr. McSteamy....For Sunny!

2006-02-20T21:35:00.000-05:00

Ok, found some stuff on Eric Dane, who plays Dr. Mark Sloan (aka Dr. McSteamy) from yet another fantastic episode of Grey's Anatomy that aired last night.

1. He is 30. Young, ripped, Hawt!!!

2. He has a recurring role (9 episodes, I think) on the WB's Charmed.

3. Was in the movie, X Men, which, to this day I have never seen (Sorry Pissy!)

4. Had a role in 2 episodes of NBC's Las Vegas

5. Dated Alyssa Milano for a while

6. Wed Noxema Girl Rebecca Gayheart on October 29. Now they will have georgous children!!!

7. Is now our favorite new doctor at Seattle Grace Hospital, Dr. Mark Sloan (aka Dr. McSteamy)

My Word Cloud

2006-02-20T21:05:00.000-05:00

I've read a lot of these 'Word Clouds' lately on other blogs and was curious to give it a try. See, you submit your URL here, then it searches your blog posts and finds the more recurring words and alphabetizes them and displays them as you see here and then you can have it put on a t-shirt.

Cool, I think. I like that the words are different sizes, though I'm not sure why...

I like that best, book, home, house, like, love, movie, rain, read, pissy, sister, snow, super, time, watching, and weather are all big...as they are my favorite things! Not so sure jealousy and whine are so great big, though! I wish that newlywed and playing were bigger and that Z was on it...

My Inner Celebrity

2006-02-19T20:48:00.000-05:00

So I was catching up on one of Pissy's favorite blog buddies, Mr. Fabulous, and stole this fun post about discovering the celebrity in you!

MyHeritage.com asks you to upload an image of yourself, then it uses face recognition to match you to a famous celebrity.

With a 78% match, I most resembled Rachael Leigh Cook, followed by Calista Flockhart, Courteney Cox, Kelly Clarkson, Anne Hathaway, and a few others. Cool! These are beautiful women! Yay me! :)

Give it a try! You have to register, but it's free...

Laid Back Friday Night

2006-02-17T21:52:00.000-05:00

After a week like mine, all I can really motivate myself to do is eat, whine, and be lazy. Yep, pathetic. Oh well! I'm okay with that! :) The only thing that got me through this week was knowing that I have next week off for Winter Break! YAY!

I was supposed to go straight from work today to the Southern Circle of Hell for some R&R and to celebrate with Pissy. Well, I'm crampy and bloated and cranky and Sweet Man has the flu. So, I decided I would wait a day or two and have a lazy night at home with Z.

After much deliberation of what to do for dinner, we went to a local bar/restaurant for 'comfort food'-- burgers, fries, and beer. It was cool. Not too crowded or smoky. We watched the olympics and talked about our day. Then we stopped at the store for some ice cream. Can you guess what kind??? Edy's Limited Edition Tagalong Girl Scout Cookie Ice Cream!!! OMG!!!! FABULOUS! It is soft, vanilla with peanut butter and fudge swirls and pieces of tagalong cookes blended in! YUM! I have ordered my cookies from one of my students but they aren't here yet--this is just as good!

So now, as I write, I am sitting on my cozy red couch in my PJ's typing this while my sweet Z feeds me ice cream and milk all while watching Sex and the City!!! I am so SPOILED! :) Z really likes Sex and the City, though, so it's ok. :) I am going back and starting them from the beginning. It's so funny to see season 1 again! The hair, the clothes, Mr. Big! It's great to be reminded how the characters started out in the beginning. And I had forgotten that we met Mr. Big in the very first episode of season one!

So anyway, my lonnnnggg week and day has definitely turned around! Hope you guys have a great weekend! My next post will be live from Casa de Pissy!

Just a quickie~

2006-02-15T17:58:00.000-05:00

What is up with the freakin' weather!?!? We had 'snow' Sunday, cold winds, rain and ice Monday and Tuesday, and then today it has been in the 60's!!! It's 68 degrees right now--at 6:00!!! CRAZY!

Oh, well, they say to expect rain tomorrow night through the weekend. Who knows! It just makes it so hard to get dressed in the morning. "Will it rain today? Is it windy? Icy? SNOWING?" For crying outloud!!! :)

Ok, buddies, I'm out for a quick run before the sun sets! Can't let the great weather (for a day) get away!

More from me later!

JEALOUSY

2006-02-13T19:52:00.000-05:00

JEALOUSY noun
1 he was consumed with jealousy envy, covetousness; resentment, resentfulness, bitterness, spite; informal the green-eyed monster. 2 the jealousy of his long-suffering wife suspicion, suspiciousness, distrust, mistrust, insecurity, anxiety; possessiveness, overprotectiveness.

Why did God create such an ugly thing as jealousy? I HATE that I let it bother me, get the best of me. Really. It's unfortunate.

See, Z and I are great friends with another newlywed couple. We live in condo communities next door to one another, we hang out on the weekends, go to the movies, dinner, you get the drift. Well, as time has progressed (we got married in June, them in September) it is beginning to feel like we are in 'unannounced, unspoken' competition with them. Kind of a 'Who had the best wedding, the best honeymoon, the best condo in the city, the first to get a dog, the first to buy a house, etcetera, etcetera" thing.

Well, the pressure is on as we have both, separately, been on the search for a home to buy. As odd as it may be, both couples have found the same home to buy, so who gets it? I guess they do, as they were first to talk to a mortgage broker and a real estate guy--they are better prepared than us.

But, damn if we didn't find the house first!!! It is down the street from some close friends of ours and it has lots of things we love: a bay window in the kitchen, a white picket fence, a georgous landscaped yard, hardwood floors, recently renovated kitchen, nice neighborhood with sidewalks, blah, blah, blah.

So today I get a call that they are looking to close on the house. That means we lose it, even though we only had it in our minds, and I'm feeling jealous. They are getting the house I wanted, which also means they're getting the dog first!

Could I BE more of a six-year-old here!?!?!? "Mommmyyyy....they stole my house!!!!" *whine* *whine*

Why do I let jealously get the best of me!?! I am happy for them. Really. They would be for us if it was the other way around (I think!). I know that it means that our dream house is still out there...but, gosh....I guess I just hate losing.

Snow

2006-02-12T09:50:00.001-05:00

Snow, snow, snow! Siting by my window, looking out...what a beautiful, calming, serene sight...

I see children running and playing, building snow forts and snowpeople (you know kids build snow families now, not just snowmen) oh, and there's one making a perfect snow angel.

The dogs are going crazy! They don't know how to react to something so cold and wet on their little paws and they aren't sure what do think about their paws sinking through the powder to get to the ground.

Here comes the snowplow....the kids stop playing and run towards the street, unaware of the line they are making on the unseen sidewalk, all watching in awe as the snowplow pushes snow off of the street.

Oh, and the babies, being carried around looking up toward the sky, watching it fall, hearing mommy and daddy go on and on about their first snow....the whole time taking pictures. Oh, the pictures...this day will fill new pages in scrapbooks and replace old photos in picture frames around homes.

Can you believe that it is snowing here in the seasonless south!

Good--because it barely is. I mean, seriously. Looking outside, it looks like a movie set. Like someone is just tossing that fake stuff off of my roof so that it will flow down by my windows. People are outside, checking it out, I mean, we've been hearing the warnings from the news and weather channels all week that we would have snow saturday night... woohoo! Everyone gets so excited. They plan for it. They get up early to see it. And it is pretty falling to the ground, but it doesn't cover, doesn't stick. It doesn't create for me the vision that I have of a snowy day, the vision that I shared with you.

I know for lots of you, you have snow, real snow, serious snow, and you hate it or are tired of it and ready for spring already. I understand how messy it is and what a pain it is, and how ugly it starts to look once cars have driven on the roads and people have stomped through it.

But do you remember the first snow of the season? The one where you looked out and it was perfect. Untouched. Not disturbed. Did a special feeling wash over you? That is the one I dream about when I hear snow is coming. I want, someday, to see my dream of the first snow day of the season come to life, and not just in my imagination. For now, I guess flurries from the rooftops will just have to do! Happy Snow Day!

A Great Read...

2006-02-07T22:31:00.000-05:00

I have recently started reading this author, Jodi Piccoult (I finished Vanishing Acts), and a coworker insisted that I borrow 2 others due to their intriging subject matters. Well she was right. Jodi Piccoult takes current events and uses them as topics for her novels.

Vanishing Acts was a story about a father who 'kidnapped' his own daughter to protect her from a life with an alcoholic mother.

This book, My Sister's Keeper, is about a family who has a daughter with a rare form of leukemia. They purposefully have another daughter, plan this daughter's genetic makeup, so that this 'new' daughter will be an identical match to the sick sister so that she may be a donor, a lifesaver, to her older sister. The younger sister, the healthy sister that knows so much about the pain of being sick, is torn between helping her sister and helping herself.

I started it last night and read 182 pages of it. I couldn't put it down. So, on the recent subject of sisters, if you have not read this book, WOW. You might be interested. I can't wait to finish blogging so I can crawl into bed and get back to it!!!

Super Sister Sunday

2006-02-06T16:25:00.000-05:00

Super Bowl Sunday??? What??? Who cares about that!!! :) Not I!!! For Little Pissy and I, it turned into a Super Sister Sunday! And it was great! :)

A little background. Little P is 3.5 years younger than me. She and I have ALWAYS been the best of friends (yes, even when we were throwing cordless phones at each other and all that). However, we don't keep in touch that well. We are both super busy, me with my hellacious group of 1st graders this year and a new husband and her with 2 internships to complete her masters. Just last month, LP moved to the city!!! Of course, with the sprawling city we have here, we still live 30 minutes apart (with no traffic!), so we don't see each other as much as we would like. And she is WONDERFUL, btw!!! So. There you go!

Anyway, with the recent news of our Dad's cancer and the fear and aprehension that accompanys that, we have been more in touch lately, but we still haven't seen each other. On a whim, we 'planned' a Super Sister Sunday in leiu of the boring Super Bowl! While the boys were out to play, little sister and I dressed in our cozy clothes and settled in for a movie marathon complete with big pillows, soft blankets, snacks and drinks!

It was so great. To be able to giggle, cry, and share stories of things that are going on now, but, more importantly, of our childhood was so fun! Just to have that chance for sister girl talk! So incredibly fun...and long overdue! Let me tell you how our time together turned to convos of our past...

The movie In Her Shoes, with Cameron Diaz (among others). What a great movie, which is also a very fun chicklit book from one of my favorite authors, Jennifer Weiner. It went through the lives of 2 pretty different sisters around their late 20's early 30's and just goes through their experiences of being so different. One being overprotective and one being quite irresponsible and carefree. (no, this does not depict my sister and i). In the movie, the 2 sisters get in a huge fight and big sis kicks little sis out and doesn't hear from her again for months. Both sisters are too proud to call the other and check in, and they miss each other terribly. Things happen in their separately living lives that need to be shared with the other sister--they were lost without each other! But it took a long lost grandmother to bring them back together.

You must see this movie, girls! It was so good! It's one of those where you laugh, you cry, you are shocked...great! And when it was over, it just made me want to hug LP and tell her how much I love her! She is my one and only sister and my very best friend. It's nice to be reminded of that sometimes, when you get so busy that you forget to tell people... So rent this movie and then call your family and tell them how much you love them!!!

A child's view of death...

2006-01-31T23:12:00.000-05:00

It's strange, really, how differently children take life changes than adults. On my drive in to work this morning, I heard the news about Mrs. King. Having just studied MLK a couple of weeks ago, I immediately made a mental note to mention this news to my class of first graders today.

During our morning meeting, we discussed our calendar, as usual, and when we came to our MLK day, 3 students raised their hands to share their news about Mrs. King. cool that they were aware, you know.

So, we begin to discuss that she has passed away. My outgoing smarty children really just ran with the conversation by themselves, like I'm not even there really... and they being to share:

"she has gone to heaven to be with Mr. King". (I'm thinking, cool.)

Then another one "what if she can't find him when she gets there? She will be scared!"

A child answers " He'll be waiting for her..."

Then yet another "my dog died last year and is in heaven, too! Maybe she will see him!!!--and oooohhhh, do you think if she sees him that she will walk him for me????" (How freakin' cute is that!!!)

And last, the one that really made me think, even now... "you know, heaven is the REAL world, we're just visiting here on vacation." (wow.)

Adults take the topic of death so seriously...some take it in stride, others in fear. Why is that? Is it because we have been conditioned to think that way? Is it because we are unsure of what really happens after we take our last breath? Will it hurt? How will my family take it? What will happen when I'm gone? So many thoughts, responsibilities, obligations... children have such an innocent view on life. So positive. Almost like they are invincible.

It's conversations like the spontaneous one that sparked in my classroom today that reminds me why I love to be in the presence of children.

Spending Time with the Fishies

2006-01-26T21:05:00.000-05:00

The new aquarium. Totally awesome. Love it. Annual Pass Holder. Only been once.

Yes, once. I am so pissed. For my 27th birthday, Z surprised me with annual passes for the two of us on opening weekend of the new, fantastic aquarium. He did great. I LOVE the aquarium. The calm feelings that wash over me when staring into the waters, the excitement of watching the sea otters playfully frolicking in their tank, the gasp that I have when i see a whale shark float over my head, the view of life for animals living in the sea. totally cool. great gift.

Following are pictures I took that night, in December, on my whirlwind tour of the aquarium.

We had to make a reservation that weekend (due to the overwhelming response from fellow sea lovers) and we had dinner plans that night with friends. So we had 2 hours--that's all, to check out the whole aquarium. With the mindset, "hey--we have annual passes we can go whenever we want--it's even in walking distance from the house--blah, blah, blah" we checked it out quickly and went on our way.

Little did we know that we would apparently forever need to make a reservation to get into the joint!!!! We can't be spontaneous about visiting at all. It totally sucks. We thought we could just go when the mood stuck us, whether it be a Saturday morning or a Tuesday night. But nooooo. They have SOOO many annual pass holders in addition to 'regular' one day at a time buyers, that you must make a reservation to keep the 'crowds' down. This makes me extremely 'crabby.'

We paid good money for those tickets with the expectation to use them whenever we please and we can't. AGH! We tried to go for Z's birthday earlier this month, nope. Tonight we sat down to try to go this weekend (thinking the crowds have died down since they stopped selling annual passes in mid-january). Nope. Not on the weekend, at least. Do you know when the next available weekend reservation time is for??? FEB. 11th!

So much for spontanaity. Guess everything,well, more things than not, in life has to be planned in advance after all. We booked our reservation for the 11th and I can't wait to see my little sea friends...pengins, otters, whales, jellyfish, seahorses, fishies, all of 'em!

Things About Me in 3's

2006-01-25T20:23:00.000-05:00

I must say, THANK YOU REG!!! I am in the middle of a 'blog funk' (mostly due to late work nights and exhaustion!) so this was a fun way to get me back in the groove. sorry it took me so long to realize I had been tagged, reg! :)

~3 Names you answer to

Penguin
Muffin
teeeaaaacherrrr (yes, that's whiny kid speak for teacher)

~3 Parts of your heritage

English
Mexican
Irish ?

~3 Things that scare me

Clowns
Pageant children (they look creepy with all that makeup and fake hair pieces!)
Not being able to have children

~3 Of your everyday essentials

food (lunch, dinner, and dessert!!!)
sleep
quiet time (not neccesarily a nap, just time to sit and read, watch tv, hang out with hubby, whatever--just in a quiet atmosphere!)

~3 Things you are wearing right now

A pair of jeans
My new baby blue and white Nike Shox (LOVE THEM!)
A wonderbra (yep, I'm not blessed)

~3 Of your favourite songs

Moon River
Eye of the Tiger (College football spirit song!--fun times!)
At Last (the song Z and I danced to at our wedding)

~3 Things you want in a relationship (other than real love)

Laughter
Great sex
Understanding (Trust & stuff!) :)

~2 Truths and 1 Lie (In any order)

I'm a drama queen
I've never cheated to get what I want
I never spill secrets

~3 Things about the opposite sex that appeal to you

dimples
cute butt
strong, protective (not body building style; just a feeling of security when you get a hug, you know!)

~3 Of your favourite hobbies

Blogging
Reading
Cooking and inviting friends to enjoy

~3 Places you want to go

Hawaii
Paris
Thailand

~3 Things you want to do before you die

Have 2 healthy, wonderful children
Establish a healthy lifestyle (that includes working out--I really want to be a runner--maybe run a marathon someday)
Travel more

~3 Ways that you are stereotypically a female/male

I cry when I'm angry
I whine to my hubby to get my way :)
I organize my clothes by season, color, and type and my shoes are ALL in shoeboxes (all of them!)

~3 (or 4) People you would like to take this survey

Southern Peach
Sunny
Big Pissy

My Musical Taste Matches...

2006-01-22T11:46:00.000-05:00

Your Musical Tastes Match: Jennifer Garner

See her whole playlist here (iTunes required)

What Celebrity Matches Your Taste in Music?

This is cool! It even brings you to their iTunes playlist and you can purchase their songs. Now this probably isn't really their playlist, but it does list some fun songs that you may have forgotten you once liked!

And I love Jennifer Garner! I need People Mag to get some pics of her and ben and baby violet. It's amazing how they have been able to stay away from paparrazzi since the baby was born. Good for them!

Shopping in the Rain

2006-01-17T20:37:00.000-05:00

Whoever danced and sang "...singing in the rain, just singing in the rain..." is crazy nuts! Who likes rain? Unless you're inside where it's warm and cozy. Or you're in bed (and don't have to get up anytime soon) and you just listen to it hit the roof and the ground outside your window. Pitter Patter. But freakin' rain on your already long commute home and on you and your dozen bags of groceries at your neighborhood grocery store. Not fun. At all.
Now, don't take me as a total girly-girl here (although I pretty much am!!!), I don't mind getting wet. Really. What I DO mind are the people in the parking lot of a crowded grocery store who drive by so fast that the puddles they are going through get thrown up on you. Yes, disgusting. And then, they have the audacity to slow down and follow you to your car and wait on you to unload your cart into the trunk! Oh, it gets better! When you do the nice, courteous thing of taking the cart back to the front of the store, they look at you like you are inconveniencing THEM and they honk at you!!!! AGH!
I hate shopping in the rain. I won't do it again. Ever. We'll just have to eat peanut butter off a spoon for dinner next time.

Up, Up, and Away

2006-01-15T23:38:00.000-05:00

Saw the coolest thing today! Z's dad gave us a call and told us about a Hot Air Balloon launch nearby. Me, having only seen hot air balloons in movies and on TV, jumped at the chance to see one in person. (Maybe it has something to do with the last time I saw on on TV--when Nick took Jessica up in one for their anniversary or something like that). Anyway, there was going to be a launch of 10-20 balloons this afternoon at an unused air strip nearby, so off we go.
It was amazing to see all that goes into getting one of those massive balloons in the air! The team of people, the equipment, the space needed. There must be 9-10 people on a team assigned to the inflating on 1 balloon. One holds this string on the top of the balloon, others (3-4) unravel the balloon, others attach the basket, while others work the hot air/gas to inflate it!
These things are HUGE! You just think they're big when they are in the air!!! You should see one in person! WOW! Just look at the size of it compared to the cars and people. Neat. The colors were so vivid, could have been more so if the day was a bit nicer, but still. There were some neat ones. Some were used for advertising--like ReMax realtors and stuff, and others were nautical looking -blue and white and yellow, another was different, it had a cartoon looking boy and girl around it, waving, and then others were just bright colors--reds, pinks, yellows, blues, greens, Awesome!
So next is the balancing of the balloon. Trying to get it perfectly vertical just skimming the ground. This takes several minutes. Standing close to the basket, you could feel the intense heat coming from their torch-like things and see the inside of the balloons light up as they try to right themselves. All of the workers are wearing serious gloves and stuff for protection. The basket isn't as bit as I thought it would be. There didn't seem to be room for a bottle of champagne, a bouquet of roses, and a picnic basket - like in the movies!!! :) Just enough standing room for 4 adults and the propane tank to keep the balloon up. They say they stay up for about an hour, depending on weather and weight. Anyway, soon they get the balloon just right and off they go. Up, up, and away.... off to see the view of the city....soar above the treetops....and watch a quite lovely sunset. All in a balloon.... Pretty cool, huh!?!?!
I think I should give it a try...I don't think I'm afraid of heights!!!

2 Shopping Gripes for Today

2006-01-14T19:33:00.000-05:00

Shopping at the mall today seemed worse than it did before Christmas. Really. No joke.

Everywhere we went--people. Loud people. Annoying people. People chatting animately on cell phones. People letting their barely walking toddlers push their own strollers. People with dogs.

Yes, dogs. In the mall.

I swear, I have now seen it all in the land of shopping. As if the mall is not crowded enough, not loud enough. Let's bring in our pets. That won't cause ANY chaos, will it!?!?

Well, I'm thinking it does.

Don't get me wrong. I LOVE DOGS! I want one terribly bad, but Z says not yet. I grew up with dogs and think they are the best thing ever!

But, dogs in the Gap. No. Dogs in the Apple store. No. Dogs in line at the Starbucks kiosk. No. (you get the picture)

It seems as though dogs, little dogs at least, have become a mere accessory. At the mall today I saw 3 girls with dogs.

One had a tee-tiny dog in a little pink snakeskin carrier. Pretty inconspicuous until you are standing next to the carrier with a cookie from the 'cookie company' and you hear a whimper.

Another was in a really cool burberry looking tote bag. He was laying low being preety quiet until someone dropped something on the hardwood floor in the Apple store, then his little head popped out to see what the commotion was about. (insert barking here).

Then, finally, was the medium sized dog in a dog stroller. I know, I know...where was my camera. Thing is, I had the camera with me, but I was so shocked, I just didn't think fast enough! For those who aren't familiar with a dog stroller, it looked to be like a shopping cart or sorts, one of those flat bed ones. And then hooked on top was this big ass plush net/mesh looking carrying case for your dog. Truly indescribable, really. (so I found this picture for ya...this is a little more upscale then the one I saw--they have all kinds of these things!!!)

So anyway, dogs in the mall. Not may favorite. However, also NOT my biggest shopping gripe of the day.

Here goes the big one.

We're in the Apple store where there is a snake like line wrapping around the store for purchases, exchanges, etc.... After menuvering our way around it, we begin the search for a sales associate to help us find and answer some questions about this new software Z wants to buy. Of course, in a store so popular and overrun with people, this proves to be quite a difficult task. So, I take over and Z tries to get his hands on a free computer so he could see if they had the new software loaded on it and he could just check it out there.

Several minutes later, I find Z, sans sales associate, looking quite pissed as we can not use any of the surrounding computers due to other shoppers. Big deal. We'll wait. They deserve their play time/exploring time, too. I am fine with that.

UNTIL I see this woman. All hunched down over a widescreen movie style looking screen....surfing eBay looking at jewelry!!!!! WHAT?!?@*@!!? What in effing hell is she doing!?!?! Shopping online at the Apple store! You have got to be kidding me!!! I stand there, staring this woman down and notice that she is not only surfing, but also purchasing, and at her feet are 2 large duffle bags and a grocery sack. I'm so confused. I bitch about it to Z. I don't think he even hears me...he's too busy waiting for this guy to stop flirting with one of the sales girls so Z can get his questions answered. But, yeah. Does she not see the crowd of people in there. Waiting to look at the computers!!!

Oh, wait, there's more. Z FINALLY gets his questions answered. He wants the software. We go to get in the long ass line and on our way we pass by yet another woman doing business on the store computers!!!!! She is not even trying to hide it!!! She has her dayrunner/planner thing out on the counter next to her, making notes as she checks her Bank of America banking account!!! She has this mean looking friend standing guard for her. But yeah, she is banking on the computer at the Apple store.

PEOPLE! THE APPLE STORE IS NOT A PUBLIC LIBRARY!!!!

I leave the store, I just can't take it anymore. I leave Z to wait in the long ass line and I go get my grande' starbucks coffee and do a walk-through in Anthropologie to make it all better. :)

Shopping. Sometimes I wonder why I even bother...

Read All About Me

2006-01-12T21:10:00.000-05:00

TAGGED! Well, I'll be! Here goes!

Four jobs I've had:
1. Server (yep, can't call them 'waitresses' anymore) at Po'Folks. SUCKED! Apron with vegetables all over it, serving southerners with a constant need for fried okra, chicken livers, and sweet tea!
2. Shampoo Girl turned assistant in a hair salon. Loved it! I got to the the guinea pig for new products, hair cuts, and color and was always surrounded by the gossip of the rich women of our small town! Fun times!
3. Teacher. yeah, current job. "Teacher" is the overall umbrella topic here, but it really means.... mother, father, sister, brother, 'auntie', nurse, dentist, therapist, counselor, friend, 'granny', babysitter....the list really goes on and on...
4. I'm thinking... stay at home mom who does interior decorating on the side...

Four movies I could watch over and over again:
1. Any Audrey Hepburn movie
2. My 80's favorites: Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles, Breakfast Club
3. Fun Girly Movies; Girls Just wanna Have Fun, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, 13 Going on 30 (you get the picture!)
4. Serendipity

Four t.v. shows I love:
1. LOST.....obsessed with it
2. Grey's Anatomy.....great!
3. Sex in the City....no matter who tries, there will never be anything else like it
4. Friends....same reason as #3
* I AM my mother's child!!! I love that we call each other during commercials and 'rehash' the events of the show!

Four Albums I can't live without:
1. Madonna: The Immaculate Collection.....all the great ones from the early years...
2. Jack Johnson....I like all of them! I can't pick a fav. I have at least one in my player at all times...good 'chill' music
3. Gwen Steffani: Love, Angel, Music Baby..... It's a 2005 fav that will be around for a while!
4. Michael Jackson greatest hits.... his old stuff was SO good!
5. *pending... My Wedding Music Compilation CD.... Z has been working on this for me and I absolutely love it already! Just listening to the reception music takes me right back to that awesome night!!!

Four places I've lived:
1. Fayetteville, NC...... 1st place we were stationed in the Army when I was little.
2. Augsburg, Germany.....went to a totally cool elementary school there. We had German class every week and we even spent the day at a German School once for a field trip. Still remember the time that a boy got his tounge stuck on the flag pole. You always see it in movies and cartoons, but that's the only time I've ever seen it in person!
3. Auburn, Alabama.... WAR EAGLE, BABY!!! Bachelor's and Master's at the best university in the south!!! WOOHOO!
4. Current City, Seasonless South.... so far, so good.

Four favorite foods:
1. Queso dip with jalepenos and lightly salted chips
2. Creme' Brulee
3. Thai--spring rolls, spicy basil rice with chicken, green tea ice cream
4. Pizza (i like pizza so much that I even like the .99 Totino's pizzas from the freezer!!!)

Four places I've vacationed:
1. Florida Panhandle (Spring Breaks and Summer Vacations)
2. Asheville, NC
3. Louisville, KY
4. NYC, NY
5. The carribbean (for the most fabulous honeymoon ever!!!!)

Four Websites I visit daily:
1. All of your blogs, by bloggy friends!
2. People magazine.com
3. .mac...to check email and download music from itunes
4. My school system site....attendance, gradebook, etc, etc...

Four Magazines I read regularly:
1. PEOPLE...my all time favorite
2. In Touch & Us....the gossip mags
3. Self....trying to movtivate my self to move my ass!
4. Better Homes and Gardens...Pissy got me this subscription since I LOVE decorating and crafts and stuff! It's fun!

Four Cars I've owned:
1. '91 red Honda Civic-- my first car when I was 16
2. '97 white Honda Civic Coupe-- my high school graduation present!!!
3. Nissan 240SX--red, tiny, and FAST! Got too many speeding tickets in this thing, but I loved it!
4. '03 silver Honda Accord-- my gift to myself after completing my first year of teaching! The first car I bought myself. I love the charcoal leather interior, sunroof, 6-disc CD player, heated seats...ahhhhh.... :)

Well, folks, this was fun! Hope you enjoyed learning a little more about me! Gotta say, it was hard to fill out some of this stuff. I'm so young, innocent, naive, sheltered... HA HA! :) This would be interesting to fill out in 5 or 10 years for sure!

If Only...

2006-01-11T20:23:00.000-05:00

Sunroof open. Windows down. The new Madonna CD blaring from the stereo. My commute home today. Feeling a sudden burst of adrenaline after a very crappy day. Thinking it would be a great day for a run (or in my case, walking with a dash of running!!!). It was a beautiful day and freakishly warm--72 degrees! Couldn't be a better day to start than today.

I get home, change into my favorite workout clothes, pull my hair into a ponytail, tie my shoes, glance out the window. Ahhh, sunset. My favorite part of the day. And, oh! My flowers! I need to water the poor little things! (I'm so easily sidetracked!)

I get some water, head out to the porch....and sit down. DAMN! It feels SOOOO good to sit down! I'm out of my dress pants and heels and sitting in my comfy, cozy sweats and strappy top.... Ahhhh! Relief washes over me.... I grow calm, lethargic, and, very soon, hungry.

Next thing you know, I'm sitting on the porch with a bowl food of grapes, admiring the sun set on the city, letting my worries melt away....and watching a bunch of skinny bitches run by with their dogs and shit!!! IF ONLY I could lose weight vicariously through them!!! If only I could lose weight just by thinking about it. If only I could lose weight by wearing my workout clothes and accessories. If only....

Oh well! There's always tomorrow!!!

Is it even the time of year for planting!?!?!

2006-01-08T23:25:00.000-05:00

Wow! Planting is a great stress reducer! Z and I spent our beautiful Sunday afternoon on a bike-ride tour of our neighboorhood and while out, I noticed many homes with colorful pansies accenting their front porches, flower beds, and hanging baskets.

So, on a whim, I drug a quite reluctant Z up to Lowe's to purchase some pansies for our balcony. I already had 4 pots out on the balcony, lonely as can be, dying to be used, wanting to have a purpose.

Well, I'll be! I get to Lowe's and the pansies were on sale! Hot Damn! I got 11 4in potted pansies for .50 each! Woohoo! I added a bag of miracle grow soil to my cart and off I went. (With Z trailing behind me with the merchandise!).

So, I get home, take my lovely flowers outside to get busy potting, when I realize, 'I have never potted a plant before. Ever. What the heck do I do!'. Ok, wait, I confess. I have potted plants once. With my class. For mother's day. But does that count? I think not.

So, back to me. Not real sure what I'm doing. But I guess I figured it out. The flowers are all planted. One pot for all yellow pansies, one for light pink and lavendar, and 2 (one big and one little) pots of plum, lavendar, and white pansies.

I guess they look alright. I'm proud of planting them. Z thought they looked good. Hell, he'll say anything to make me happy! (I love him so much!!!!) And I have lots of dirt under my fingernails, so HEY! I must have done something right!?!?!? :) Now....let's see how long they'll stay alive.....

Get Your Puck On!!!

2006-01-07T17:40:00.000-05:00

I'm sure you wouldn't peg me as 'sports girl'. And trust me, you are totally correct. I do not know the rules to ANY sport, I don't care to watch any sport on tv, or go see one live---until I met hockey.

Have you ever been to a hockey game? God, it's SO. MUCH. FUN!!! There is music constantly blaring from the amazing sound system, funny clips shown on the huge-ass big screen tv's, big plastic bottles (yes, plastic like 20 oz coke bottles) of beer, and a really fun crowd of spectators. And these aren't just any spectators, these are the ones who cuss through the whole game, shout out and get in fights with fellow spectators around them who don't agree with them, boo the refs and opposing team players, and ones that throw their hats and full cups and/or bottles of beer at the rink when they get pissed off. Yep, quite a sight to see. Oh, and of course, there are the players. Very cute guys with cool ass names with serious head gear on and colorful, puffy uniforms. On skates. With sticks. All fighting to the finish with one little black puck.

From up in the stands, the whole game looks so easy. The guys sail over the ice from one end of the rink to the other, as if floating above it, as they use their sticks to keep others away, all in an attempt to use their ever-changing strategies and skills to get their little black hockey puck into the net. GOAL! Nice! Whenever we score a goal, these animatronic animal head things that hang from the ceiling blow out fire and the music picks up again and the lights go wild (think a rock concert with strobe lights, colored spotlights, and pyro stuff). It's such a rush.

So all of this describes last night, when we attended our first game of the season for Z's 28th birthday. We got our pricey, not-so-tasty arena pizza and bottled beer and settled in for our favorite sports team to get started. With only one row of people in front of us, we had a perfect view of the whole rink. We saw all of the plays, heard all of the calls, saw the faces of the players as they fought for the puck, and heard the spectators as they called out their opinions of the game. We also saw every single goal~ all 6 of them!!! We Won! What a great game! Happy Birthday, Z!

Out of the Groove

2006-01-05T19:43:00.000-05:00

Getting back into the routine of things after vacation time is SO freakin' hard!!! The first couple of days...sure....I can run on pure adrenaline....but now, 4 days later, I am absolutely worn out. I just want to sit. Lay down. Turn on the TV. Watch something mindless. Then go to bed.

I need to do laundry. I need to type up lesson plans. I need to cook dinner. I need to spend some 'quality' time with my husband. But I'm too freakin' tired!!! Poor Z--it's the worst for him!

Meant to post everyday. Haven't since...Monday?!?! Oops! Next week will have to be better. Being back in the routine of work, commute home, cooking dinner, watching TV, and going to bed EVERY DAY is just not too exciting to write about!!! Gotta go back to finding the positive parts of my day!

Hope everyone else is off to a great start with the New Year! Me? Well, it's goin' fine...I just need to get my groove back!!!

Take Care!

Who's 'Hotter?'

2006-01-02T23:21:00.000-05:00

At K & M's place tonight, enjoying yummy chili and watching the Sugar Bowl with a bunch of couples, the oh-so-common question of "Who's Hotter? Jennifer or Angelina?" came up (as it always seems to do with this group of guys).

The guys INSIST that Jennifer is cute...has that 'girl next door' look, but Angelina... "DAMN, she's SEXY! Those big lips and all~ what guy wouldn't like that!?!?!?"

Now, the girls of course, have to take up for the underdog here, and protest, "But she (Angelina) looks trashy sometimes!!! Jennifer always looks so put together, cute, classy!"

So, with their personal relationship drama aside, acting skills aside, who do YOU think is "hotter"?

Is This What You Do All Day?!?!

2006-01-02T22:30:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately for me, I had to go to work today. Yes, I am a teacher. No, I have NO idea why I had to work today. No other professions had to work today (well, at least my friends in professions that I know of!!!). But today was our "Teacher Work Day" so we had no choice. So, here's the thing~ it was great!

I got to go in 30 minutes late (so I had to be in by 8:00 rather than at the freakin' crack of dawn at 7:30) and it all started with a 'Doughnuts and Dibeling' party in the media center. Mind you, it was not really a party, rather a staff development session for our phonics/reading assessment program, however our lovely leader provided yummy Krispy Kremes to start us off right!

From the meeting, I wander down the hall to my classroom...stopping at every single classroom on my way (this is approximately 9-11 rooms) gossiping about the break and random stuff like that. By 10:00 or so, I finally make it to my own classroom, and am hit with the stale smell of party food from our Class Christmas Party 2 Friday's prior. Ugh. Disgusting. Welcome back.

I manage to unpack my laptop, hook it up, and then play on the internet. I check email, catch up on People Magazine webpage, read blogs, and, Oh yeah, and I post my report card grades (but this only took like 10 minutes). By 11:15, I have had 4 friends stop by to visit, and my friend K comes in to see what we're doing for lunch~ Because, today my friends, I actually get to LEAVE THE BUILDING for lunch!!! We even have an hour and a half to eat and enjoy ourselves!!! Not the usual 20 minutes to stuff your face while opening milk cartons and ketchup packets!!! I quickly jump up, take one last whiff of my stinky smelling room, lock the door, and off we go.

Our first stop, Applebee's. We sit in the cozy, colorfully decorated restaurant sipping our tall sweet teas and gossip while we wait for our yummy lunch of 'not sandwiches or lean cuisines' to emerge from the kitchen and be served to us at our table surrounded by other adults. The food comes, we eat, we drink, we talk, we laugh. We're done. Looking down at our watch, "Damn, we still have 45 minutes! Let's go shopping!"

So we hit Target, where I buy some AirWick stickups for my classroom (I have GOT to get rid of the smell!) and K searches for 'The Wedding Crashers' DVD only to discover that it comes out tomorrow...but we don't care!!! We are shopping in the middle of the day! next, we're off to Pier 1. They're having a big sale, you know!?! A few decorative purchases later, we're on our way back to school, jamming out to Gwen Steffani on the way.

Back at school, I wander back down to my room, gossip some more, and then by 2:00 or so, finally start to get some work done. But, oh yeah, baby! Teachers get off at 3:00!!! Out the door at 3:01 and headed to K's to eat chili and watch the sugar bowl.

What a day... I'm just worn out~ but in a good way! I was my own boss...I had NO little ones poking me, pulling on me, calling my name over and over again... I got to eat a REAL lunch in peace and quiet.... I could run to the restroom whenever I felt like it.... I could actually utilize my desk chair for my ass and not just my coat and laptop bag....and, hell, I could work, or not work, and no one cared!!!

Is this what you guys in the 'real working world' do all day at work? 'cuz I can definitely handle multiple days of this! It was great!

Let's Ring in 2006!

2005-12-31T02:20:00.000-05:00

Can you believe 2005 is coming to an end!?! It seems like just yesterday when Z proposed and we began planning our wedding and our move from the suburbs into the city. And look at us now, living a fantabulous life in the city with 6 blissful months of marriage behind us and the memories of the wedding festivities, the awesome honeymoon, the move into our new place, and the making of new friends still fresh in our heads!

I wonder what 2006 will bring? I am not going to list resolutions here, as I always make some up and never stick to them. You know the usual, loose weight, get in shape, workout everyday, quick drinking/partying so much, get organized, etc, etc, etc...nope, not going there.

However, I will say that I'm going to strive to be a more postive person (not let the little things bother me so much) and I'm going to try to relax and not try to plan every minute of my future~ just let fate and/or God take over for a while. I also want to keep this blog thing up and get better at it. I enjoy 'meeting' you all through this experience, even though it's just been for a short time now, and I really want to get better at writing and expressing my thoughts and experiences here, in this space, with your continued support and encouragement. You are all an inspiration to me...reading your blogs is not only fun, but it also poses questions for me to think about and inspires me to break out of my shell and try new things out.

So, with that said, let's keep the memories from 2005 alive, and begin creating new ones for 2006.

Happy New Year to you All!

Stay Safe!

Stay Healthy!

Have Fun!

Just in time for NYE

2005-12-30T16:38:00.000-05:00

As the big night approaches, my mouth is already watering at the thought of my night of fruity cocktails! I LOVE a fruity drink...pink, turquoise, orange. The brighter the color, the better the drink! It's just fun! So, I took this quiz today to see what mixed drink I was... It's right on the money! :) I LOVE Mai Tai's!

You Are a Mai Tai

You aren't a big drinker, but you'll drink if the atmosphere is festive.And when you're drunk, watch out! You're easily carried away.

What Mixed Drink Are You?

*editor's note: I can't get the link to work! It won't accept the html code. It keeps telling me that there is no opening tag to match the closing tag...whatever that means!!! Oh, well. Sorry!
Here's the link if you want to try it out. http://www.blogthings.com/whatmixeddrinkareyouquiz/
There are lots of fun games/quizzes on there...the 'leading lady/leading man' is there as well as the 'what city do you belong in'

Home Sweet Home

2005-12-29T00:24:00.000-05:00

Whew! Back in the city! Must say...it feels good. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love my parents and it's fun to be back in my small town and go to the stores and restaurants I have always gone to and drive by the elementary school in my neighborhood and ride by the high school and football field and our old stompin' grounds...reminiscing about the past. Actually the whole 'going home thing' always gets me thinking about the past. Kind of interesting to visit the past...
Anyway, off topic. So, yeah, SO glad to be home.

There's nothing quite like home, you know? Walking in your front door and seeing your stuff--your life. Your big, cozy couch, reading chair, photos on the tables, your favorite DVD's still lined up by the TV. Your own bed, all of your clothes/accessories/shoes/purses/hats/scarves...all in one place, neatly arranged ~ rather than stuffed in a suitcase. Sleeping in...ohhhh...sleeping in! Trying to get back into our regular routine is not yet happening. Since I have the rest of this week off from work still! Yea! Oh, but yeah, home. It's great.

When in Rome...

2005-12-24T20:56:00.000-05:00

You Belong in Rome

You're a big city girl with a small town heart, which is why you're attracted to the romance of Rome. Strolling down picture perfect streets, cappuccino in hand and gorgeous Italian men - could life get any better?

What City Do You Belong In?

My first 'TAG!'

2005-12-22T00:58:00.000-05:00

I gotta get out of my 'blah' mood here and lighten things up. Big Pissy tagged me tonight. It's my first time being tagged! :) I'm kinda excited. So here goes 5 weird things about me:

1. I have to fall asleep laying on my stomach with my head turned to the left (facing my hubby!)
2. I have been drinking coffee pretty regularly for the past 2 years and I still don't feel 'addicted.'
3. I must double (sometimes triple) check the house (doors and windows) before I go to bed at night to make sure we are 'locked in'.
4. I love, love, love grape jelly and butter on my homestyle Eggo waffles! :)
5. I can pop my toes, but not my fingers. I do this quite frequently and it drives Z insane! :)

I'm on vacation, but...

2005-12-21T23:36:00.000-05:00

So, here I am, on Christmas Vacation...wound up tight as a drum...not able to relax at all. I mean, why not!?!?! I am not at work, my bills are paid, my shopping is done, I am at home with my family and my new husband....but, yet, I can't seem to totally relax. I feel like I am forgetting to do something, but I don't know what it is! Ever get that feeling?
I almost feel lost...I drift in and out of conversations, nodding my head, smiling, laughing at all the right places--but something is missing...something is still there eating away at me...telling me there is more to be done, more to think through, more to take care of.
I think I am feeling a bit melancholy (is that even the right word, really...) as I step back and face all that I have accomplished and then look around me. I am a lucky girl. I have a fabulous family, the perfect husband, a job I'm proud of doing, a cozy home, a stocked fridge, a full closet...what more could a girl need?
Then I see it--the salvation army bell ringers that most people ignore and walk past...the homeless people walking the streets asking for change as I walk out of Best Buy with my electronic purchases...the kids in my class that tell me that they don't have a tree or presents at home for Christmas...the little girl whose dad walked out on her family 1 week before christmas and all she wants for Christmas is for him to come home...
I feel like I need to do something. Something to help these people. Bring Christmas to them. I need to quit spending more money on gifts that no one really needs and quit complaining that I spent too much money or that the lines were so long at the store and that the mall was so crowded or that I have to drive for hours to get home to my warm, comfortable home to my great family for our annual Christmas gathering.
It's like I want to help them all...give them money, food, family, comfort, security, hope, faith, trust, warmth, happiness. But I don't know how...and I think that's what's bothering me (at least today, anyway). I just don't know what to do. *sigh*

Santa's Little Shopping Helper

2005-12-20T18:14:00.000-05:00

Santa's little helper is finally done shopping! I am SO pumped! Though, I must say, it has been challenging. Every year, I make a list. I consult my list before leaving the house, then I grab what I need, cross things off my list, and I go home and wrap it up. However, this year was different.
This is my first married Christmas. More people to shop for which means more planning and more wrapping and more...well, unfortunately for me, more stress. This year, instead of making a list and checking it twice, I shopped on pure adrenaline for my favorite season and did the "I'll know it when I see it" thing.
Well, I started off great. A couple of things here, a couple of things there. Ohhh, a craft idea here (I love making homemade, personal gifts for people) and a neat idea there. This got out of control!!!
I think I have ended up spending WAY too much money and probably having WAY too many items for some people! I just couldn't stop! ...'Ohhhh, that is soooo cute'...'So-and-so would LOVE that!'... And this has continued for several weeks now.
So today, I cut myself off. One last shopping trip with my favorite shopping buddy, N, and now I'm done. Finito. Through. Locking myself in my house and hiding the credit cards. Uh, huh. That's what I've gotta do. That's what it has amounted to.
So, as much as I love the holidays and giving gifts and all that, I have let myself loose control and I have to step back and reassess the damage I have done! Whew! I defintely helped Santa out this year! This little helper went to town!!!

BUSTED... by the cable guy

2005-12-19T21:44:00.000-05:00

So, I’m sitting on the floor, criss-cross applesauce(!), wrapping presents watching “Real Life” on MTV when…

Knock, Knock, Knock

I walk to the door and peek out the peephole (it’s the city—you gotta use those things!!!)

Hmmm, guy in a brown hat…has a logo on it….looks business related… should I open the door…. I AM expecting a package from UPS….

I open the door. Not UPS, the Cable Guy.

Cable Guy: city penguin, I am here working on some complaints with cable in your building and noticed that your entire bldg has been receiving free cable for quite some time….

City Penguin: oh my...really!?!?!

Cable Guy: yes, city penguin. Have you noticed? (as he hears a rude MTV commercial in the background)

City Penguin: welllllll, we have had cable since day 1 of living here…. I just assumed it was looped in our rent with all of our other utilities….. (he, he, wink, wink)

Cable Guy: yeah…that’s what everyone is saying….

City Penguin: Am I in trouble? (big smile here!)

Cable Guy: oh, no. Our mistake. However, if you don’t subscribe to the cable now, it gets cut off in about 10 minutes….Are you in the middle of a favorite TV show? I’d hate you to miss the ending….

City Penguin: (oh, good grief…what a way to sell me)…. Well, ok…but is it possible to wait till my husband gets home…then he can….

Cable Guy: nope….now or….after the holidays when things slow down….

City Penguin: (shit!) Ok, sold. How much is this gonna cost me?

Cable Guy: 19.99 for the first month, then 44.99 for the months after. If you want internet, too, that’s another 44.99 a month.

City Penguin: Damn! That’s a lot of money for cable!!! Sign me up for basic…as long as I’m not in any contract I can’t get out of…

Cable Guy: will do. Happy Holidays!

City Penguin: MERRY CHRISTMAS! (for pete’s sake, I just helped you meet your cable quota this month…sheesh!)

So, yeah, that’s about how it went down. So no more free cable…. Unfortunate, but I had to subscribe. I can’t miss my shows!!!

Brown Paper Packages Tied Up With String....

2005-12-19T12:01:00.000-05:00

Can I just say, I LOVE CHRISTMAS! It's my favorite holiday of the year and I get so into it! The shopping, the songs, the wrapping, the giving and receiving!!! It's great!
So as I am still working to finish the last of my Christmas shopping, I am wrapping up the gifts as I go, eager to pile presents under my oh-so-cute tree. I go out, shop around, and come straight home to wrap!
Z and I were on our way back home from a shopping excursion a few weeks ago, and I (who can't seem to get the Christmas songs out of her head!!!) started singing "My Favorite Things" from the Sound of Music. You know this one...."raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens....bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens....brown paper packages tied up with string....these are a few of my favorite things...." It's one of may favorite songs to sing (I think I even sang it for a musical audition once back in high school).
So, anyway, I'm off track here. So I'm singing and Z says "hey that's it!" and I say "whatcha talking about?" and he says "the packages!" So I think back for a moment....ah, yes, the packages....I AM waiting on one from UPS but how does he know about that... then he interrupts "that's how we can wrap the gifts this year--brown paper and string!". So I get all Martha Stewart on him and I go to town....
Brown paper (think UPS--what can brown do for you???) and this cutey-cute barn red rick-rack looking ribbon and then fun stamps ("The Best Gifts are tied with Heartstrings" in red ink) and then.... the bestest part of all... they are all adorned with homemade gift tags that say "Un cadeau 'a vous": (a gift for you) "De": (from) in French on this beautiful goldenrod color!

I love them all, they just look so cute and festive under our tree...And let me tell you--It took out the stress of choosing one or many different patterns of wrapping paper and coodinating ribbon at Target! This year, all of our gifts are tied with heartstrings....

I think I would make Martha proud--I know I'm proud of myself! :)

How Cute!

2005-12-18T23:42:00.000-05:00

I found this photo of a baby penguin that I just HAD to share! I really want it to be my profile picture, but I am still trying to figure out how to do that!

Until then....Did you know:

"Penguins are covered with waterproof feathers. The feathers are stiff, short and grow close together. These feathers grow over a thick coat of fluffy down. They have a thick layer of blubber, or fat right under their skin. This blubber keeps them warm or insulated from the cold snow and icy waters they swim in."

So....I'm thinking, I have blubber right under my skin, covering the fabulous abs I am meant to have and share (ha, ha!), so then, WHY am I cold all of the time!?!?!?

*editor's note--much playing around later....I figured out the profile pic thing!!!! Yea!!! :)

My Christmas Elf Name

2005-12-18T23:09:00.000-05:00

Christmas Elf Name

My Christmas Elf Name is

Get your Christmas Elf Name at JokesUnlimited.com

I snagged this from Sunny. Thanks, girl! This is too funny! :) I'm not sure about "Monkey-Buns", but I sure love pink! :)

Why Penguin, you may ask...

2005-12-18T17:32:00.000-05:00

So I have recently gotten married, June of this year actually, and my fabulous husband (gotta think of a name for him here) is just as cute as a button, smart as a whip, and sweet as can be. He is confident and strong, yet still cozy and cuddly all at the same time. He is super laid back (which is nice since it balances out my eccentric-ness !!!) and such a softee at home...
Just to give you a little background, I have always had this thing about nicknames. My poor first graders...I never call them by their whole name, just some made-up variation there of. So, of course this habit travels with me and when I started dating my now husband the nicknames just started flowin'. He quickly jumped on the bandwagon of fun with names and has actually surpassed me in the 'name-calling' department.
I soon became 'cinnamon' due to the TONS of freckles on my body that he insist look like cinnamon sprinkles. Next was 'muffin' cuz, well frankly, I freakin' LOVE to eat them for breakfast (and hey--'muffin' is better than 'donut'!). Then there were variations of my name, lovely rhyming words to take a perfectly good name and just TEAR IT UP!!! :0 And most recently, was 'penguin' due to my overwhelming feeling of coldness all of the time and this perfect waddle that I seem to do when I'm acting goofy.
So, I'm liking 'penguin' these days. It's not a food, or a bug, or a type of candy. It's instead a symbol of, not only silly times in the Penguin home, but also of very strong-willed, confident animals that work hard to survive their environment and protect their family. Now, that, I can handle.

I'm getting started!

2005-12-18T17:05:00.000-05:00

So, my friends have blogs and my mom has a blog. I love to read and comment on blogs. So why don't I get a blog!?!
I'm gonna give this blog thing a try. I have a hard time staying dedicated to hobbies (you know, like my grand idea to run everyday so that I can stay fit and healthy and maybe even lose weight....or the one where I was going to learn to knit so I could make christmas gifts this year....or, oh wait, the one where I was going to go back and read all of the old literary classics!--yeah, right!).
So, be patient with me as I give this a try... I need the outlet to share stories and gain insight on my life, as a penguin in the city...