Weekend at the End of the Tunnel

Wow...this week seems like the LONGEST week ever.

Exaggerate much? 

It could have something to do with the fact that I am looking forward to the four day weekend (we have Friday off and Martin Luther King Day off too).  It might have something to do with the fact that I have proctored two finals in which I have to sit quietly for two hours and watch students fret and worry over AP yada yada

yeah, not my strong suit

It could also have something to do with the fact that I have been doing fun stuff like filing, stamping music, and general housekeeping chores this week in preparation for the new semester

yeah, not my strong suit

It could have something to do with the fact that my Bella is feeling very blue today and I hate seeing her so sad.  Why is she so sad you ask? 

Just pretend you asked...K?

1. Two of her most favorite people are going through a very hard time right now, and she wants to help, but can't.
2. Rich is going back to Iowa and will be gone for a week and even though this means that she gets to have snuggle cuddle time with mama in bed it also means that she will be missing a guy that means a lot to her.
3. She got a bad grade on a math test today due to her inability to tackle word problems with any consistency...join the club sistah.  Now mind you she got 100% on a vocab test, 96% on a noun test, was the star player on her soccer team, and finished an exceptional oil painting.  Perspective does not come easy to a 10 year old.
4. The straw that broke the camels back was the fact that her math homework for today was having to divide fractions...yeah, not my strong suit. But we called in the Calvary (Andrew), shed a few tears, cursed the day fractions were invented, and eventually divided and conquered (ha ha get it DIVIDED and conquered).

tap...tap...tap...is this thing on??

So I think that since Rich is headed out of town this weekend Bella and I might have to go see a movie and have a girls night out.

Maybe we will work on dividing fractions with a box of Junior Mints.

Eating Junior Mints...now that's my strong suit.

More Later

- A Ro

The Blah Beating Hodgepodge

It is time once again for the weekly hodgepodge from Joyce over at From This Side of the Pond.   Answer her thought provoking questions on your blog and link up to hers.  Have some fun!!

1. Every January 1st since 1976 Lake Superior University has published a list of words they'd like to see banished from the Queen's English. Words may be banished due to mis-use, over-use or just general uselessness and they receive over 1000 nominations. Here are the fourteen words/phrases they'd like to see banished in 2011-viral, epic, fail, wow factor, a-ha moment, back story, BFF, man up, refudiate, Mama Grizzlies, The American People, facebook/google when used as verbs, I'm just sayin', and Live life to the fullest.




What word or phrase would you like to see banished from our everyday vocabulary in 2011? You can choose one from the 'official list' or you can get creative and come up with your own.
Everyone around here calls each other "boss".  Hey can I help you, boss.  What do you want to order, boss.  I am not your boss...you need to cut that out.

2. Do you consider opportunity something that comes to you or something you create for yourself?
Lets just say if you sit on your couch eating bon bons and wait for opportunity to smack you in the face you will be forever sitting on your couch eating bon bons.  You need to go out and live your life.  Meet people, experience life then opportunities will find you.


3. Since we're all eating healthy this month, ahem, what's included in your favorite salad? Is there dressing?
My favorite salad is this: Good dark lettuce (no iceberg for me) goat cheese, a few wasibi wontons, red onion, and Newman's Own Low Cal Soy Ginger dressing...yum.e.


4. The fourth Monday in January is said to be Blue Monday...aka the most depressing day of the year. The date was calculated using many factors including weather, debt level, time since Christmas, time since we've failed at our new year resolutions, low motivation and feeling a need to take action. Do you get the blues this time of year and if so what is something you do to lift your spirits?
I am definitely a little blue after the holidays, but I quickly become immersed in my new semester and the next project, which at the moment does include focusing on my New Years resolutions.  I also live in sunny CA (which at the moment is rainy CA, but it does turn around quicker than most spots around)


5. Do you wear a watch? Any other everyday jewelry essentials?
I cannot function without a watch.  The only other essential jewelry is my gorgeous engagement ring and wedding band.

6. What is something useful you learned in high school?
Everything I know about teaching high school choir.  I had an amazing choral director who steal from and try to emulate daily.  He showed me how to be a compassionate teacher...all the rest is icing on the cake.


7. Do you use an accountant when completing and filing your income tax returns or do you attempt to muddle through all by yourself?
I WAS a do-it-yourself tax gal until I married Rich...now with all of our crazy stuff we are going to a pro this year.

In Summary:  I have NO time for Blue Monday, none at all, too busy hoping to catch that next opportunity, which soon will be getting busy channeling my high school choir director in how to inspire young minds.  I am a simple jewelry gal with nothing but my keeping me on time aid, and my visual reminder of my husbands love (and good taste), and if you head on over I'll prepare you one might fine salad...just don't call me boss.

More Later

- A Ro

Tell Me Why Tuesdays

I know technically I am writing this and posting it on Monday night, but Tell Me Why Mondays just doesn't have the same ring and tomorrow night, Joyce willing, I will be doing the hodgepodge...so you see.

I did the Tell Me Why posts last year in joining with the #twitterstyleposting...and I had fun...so there.

So...its back, still doesn't have any sort of cute button, or a Mr. Linky but if you have your own "tell me why twitter style" just leave it in the comments.

Here are mine:
1.  Why are there a group of about 10 students in my room during lunch today playing Sorry? #itisn'tfinalsweekaroundhereoranything.

2.  Why do I keep the game Sorry (and Apples to Apples) in my chorus classroom? #iamabigfanofcomicrelief

3.  Why do I love THE BIG YELLOW SALE at Bath and Body Works? #youcan'thavetoomuchwarmvanillasugarhandsanitizer

4.  Why had getting up early to go exercise not been so bad? #cuteworkoutpartnerwholooksGOODweariniggymshorts

5.  Why do people in the south run out to the market and buy milk and bread when there is a THREAT of snow? #musthaveahankeringforfrenchtoasthopeyougoteggs

6.  Why has my next semster middle school chorus grown from 11 students to (as of last count) 18!!! #okmaybeiamagoodteacher

7.  Why do I like proctering finals? #quiettwohoursofuninteruppedworkandfreedress

8. Why do I still have Iowa withdrawal?  #blondbluesbigbrownandred

9.  Why do you still put up with my endless pictures of my nieces and nephews? #causeyoufeelmyheartache

10.  Why am I the happiest woman on the planet? #uhduh

More Later

- A Ro

Weekend Wrap Up

I know that title it isn't all that clever, but I need to save all my clever for next semester when my students start showing up again ready to be entertained taught.

This past weekend has been very very quiet.  The kids were with their Dad, and Rich and I are not that loud...actually that really isn't all that true.  We laugh and act more goofy when we are alone, because we don't get the "you guys are really weird" lecture.  I must admit we are pretty weird, but the nice thing is that we are the same kind of weird...needless to say I enjoy my weekends with him.

Friday night we watched the new Gold Rush Alaska on Discovery.

Yes, It was Friday night and I was watching a reality show on the Discovery channel...I know, I know.

For some reason I have really gotten into this show, but I also found myself glued to the new Biggest Loser on Tuesday night...maybe my 40's are all about reality television.

crap 

We also ran to take Andrew his phone charger...yeah we are good like that.  Since we were in the neighborhood we stopped at our favorite restaurant and sat in the bar and got some appetizers and chatted, this was only after we went to Target and I spent some of my gift card from the kids at Bath and Body Works.

See I know what you are thinking, but the thing is it's THE BIG YELLOW sale and I got some kickin' deals.  You would do the same thing too...just admit it.

Saturday morning began with getting my name put on Rich's safe deposit box.

It is what all good married couples wait to do until 5 months after they get married.  

This was only after I bet Rich that he had gone to the wrong bank branch...and I was proven wrong.  Just so you know I am not afraid to admit when I am wrong...sometimes.  We ate breakfast at Denny's and cleaned the house.

Have I lost you yet??  Now is your chance to get out while it isn't too late...cause it just gets better from here.

We ate dinner at our favorite pizza place and made another trip to Target. We also made a risky trip to Off Broadway Shoes to replace my brown boots (who's heel broke as I was heading out the door last Tuesday causing me to have to re think my entire outfit, thankfully it included only having to iron pants.  I didn't have to try to navigate a new shirt, just the pants, needless to say I wasn't happy...at all).  The boots are in the garbage and have been replaced.  The risk was mitigated due to Rich's presence.  I only bought one superfluous pair of shoes.  They were 60% off cute white Converse shoes with a double tongue...I told myself that I would throw away my old pair of white Converse, but they are still in my closet "just in case".  And that ends our Saturday evening...well only after Rich ate his coconut M&M's we found at Target...to that I say YUCK.

Sunday started out with a great work out and a great salmon omelet...to that I say YUM.  I tried to make these yam muffins and ended up calling them YAK muffins...they were disgusting.  Sometimes healthy is good, and sometimes not so much.  Rich liked them (so he says).  Trust me it was the recipe not the cook.  We did laundry and...well that is about it.

Please forgive me, I usually am a little more exciting, and no I am sorry you can't get back the last five minutes of your life.

More Later

- A Ro

Project 365 Week 1 & 2

Here we go again!!  I am so thrilled to be participating once again with Sara and her Project 365.  I can't wait to put last years days into a book and remember what a wonderful year we had.  2011 is shaping up to be a great one too.  Week one only had one day in it so I am including it on this post.  I had a very boring week and my pictures were not too exciting.  But it is what it is.

Head on over to Sara's blog and check out all the other participants week.  I love sharing my life with you all this way.

Enjoy!!

Saturday January 1 2011

Yep...We Start With a Crappy Picture

My new phone is the source of this fantastic picture.  It is my brother Greg and my nephew JoJo just as we toasted Happy New Year.  I love this picture especially since it has the game we were attempting to play, and a guy eating a bagel on TV.  Great shot and what a great way to start this Project.  (Is the sarcasm too obvious??)

Sunday January 2 2011

Back to Homework

Yep, we came home to homework.  Bella just hunkered down and got it done, and managed to give me a goofy look in the process...that's my girl.

Monday January 3 2011

Maggie's Home!!!

Rich went and got Maggie tonight.  We were so glad to have her home and we really liked the kennel that we took her too...she even got a little stocking on Christmas day!!  We are glad to have all of our family members back.

Tuesday January 4 2011

Cheat Picture

OK...Today my sister Kate put this picture that Bella took on Facebook as her profile picture and I LOVE this picture so I stole it as my Tuesday picture.  I miss them!!!

Wednesday January 5 2011

Get to Work

Maggie laid down on the floor just like this.  It looked like she was doing her homework.  Too cute.

Thursday January 6 2011

Nice Surprise

Two of my favorite former students came to see me today.  I love visits from Jacob and Sabrina.  I do have the best job around.

Friday January 7 2011

Huh??

My kids were with their Dad this weekend so Rich and I went to browse Fry's Electronics to look for a GPS mounting clip (I know the excitement is killing you).  This particular Fry's was decorated in an Alice in Wonderland theme.  Totally facinated me, obviously.

Saturday January 8 2011

PIZZA!!

With the kids away Rich and I decided to go to our favorite pizza place.  I got out my camera to take a picture and almost missed the pizza.  Needless to say, adult conversation coupled with a great pizza made me forget that I was a blogger and need a good picture for today.  Silly me.

In Summary:  I think the first weeks of January have been completely normal.  Nice and normal.  We are all back to school, homework and all, and complete with pleasant surprises.  No kids weekend equals quiet dinners and errands, but I still miss my Iowa/Arkansas people.  May is right around the corner!!

More Later

- A Ro

Thankful Thursday

So many of the blogs I read do some kind of a Thankful Thursday.  I want to join in because today I am so very thankful for so many things.

But I have only one simple thank you for today and its for my Mom.

My Mom is one of the most generous people I know.  She would give you the shirt off her back if she thought you needed or wanted it.  However, most importantly, she is a generous soul.  She is someone who you could talk to for hours and makes you feel that she really cares.  She is patient and kind and puts others before herself.  She still takes care of me and is always very concerned about me and my well being.  She always makes us feel welcome in her home and goes out of her way to make everyone comfortable.  She loves her grand kids, kids, and their respective spouses and now that includes Rich and Rich's kids. She treats the newest members of her family with such kindness and respect, and welcomes them into her home and without batting an eye makes them feel like they belong.  Above and beyond all of this is what happens at Christmas.  Her home is so beautiful and welcoming, every year she puts up all the decorations (with the help of John), and makes her home so inviting and has the spirit of Christmas down to a tee.  Her house is the hub of activity during this time and all the gifts she gives are so special and thoughtful.  I love being at my Mom's house during the holidays...heck I love being at my Mom's house any time, it is truly my happy place.

I am so thankful that my mom is...mine.

Thanks Mom...for everything, and I love you.


More Later

- A Ro

A Place for All

The dreaded first day back to school/work from an extended holiday is always rough.  Especially when you only have one day between said holiday and the first day back to reality.  Especially if you are me and you have the overwhelming obsession need to have everything in order before life starts again.  AND especially if you are a little blue due to the fact that you had to leave these faces behind.

Yeah...rough, I know.

So we get home about an hour late on Saturday night and I find the following:

1.  Christmas presents that weren't taken with us all over the coffee table and floor.

2.  Assorted boxes in a pile (that I must break down and save for next year...cause that's the kind of crazy that I am).

3.  Piles of used wrapping paper in garbage bags with other boxes that must be put in the recycle bin. 

4.  A full, but thankfully, clean dishwasher.

5.  Wrapping essentials still out.

6.  An un-made bed.

7.  Clean laundry and towels in baskets left over from the loads we did before we packed.

8.   Dog hair everywhere. 

Now I realize that all those things are very normal things to find in your house when you return from a Christmas vacation, but all those things drive me crazy in and of themselves, but to have them greet me first thing after having to leave this:

...made my crazy seem a little worse.

Thankfully I have Rich...the man who can very easily, with one touch or kind word, talk me down from the ledges and he quickly got me feeling that everything will be OK....eventually.

Now I don't know about you but I feel the unstoppable urge to unpack and go through all the mail as soon as I get home.  I mean as SOON as I get home...as in shut the door, unpack, read mail.  Now Rich was wise to this, I think, because he sneakily stopped the mail while we were gone not to have it delivered until Monday, so the mail thing was not an issue.  But the unpacking was still on the agenda.

I have totally given up on Andrew (my 15 year old son) and the packing/unpacking thing.  He is on his own.  His door can be shut, and I can put my fingers in my ears and pretend it doesn't exist. 

Rich knows me all too well and either unpacks too or just doesn't leave anything out so that I can see it is unpacked.

So that leaves me, Bella, and all the gifts to unpack.  Piles were made, things were sorted and organized, and items were delivered to their respective rooms to be put away.  I don't remember hitting the pillow that night.

Sunday was the day to get everything done before Monday morning rolled around.  We made a grocery list, grocery shopped, paid bills, balanced the checkbook, did laundry (not sure how we still had laundry when I did it at Mom's before we left), cleaned bathrooms, vacuumed, mopped, took down Christmas, and organized closets and drawers.

You see my own kind of crazy involves everything in my house having a place and it being put into its place more often than it is not in its place.  So when you get new things ie Christmas gifts, they must be put into a place.  This means, sometimes, getting rid of things.  So Bella's clothes got a purging to make room for the new stuff, art bins were sorted to be able to assimilate the new stuff, and my kitchen cabinets had to be re-organized to accommodate my new FOOD PROCESSOR!!!

Yes Rich, my loving husband, got me a new food processor.  I love it so much I want to date it on a serious basis.

I must note that I love getting kitchen stuff for gifts.  I know most wives hate it, but not me...gizmos, gadgets, appliances...bring them on.  Now mind you I also get a few romantic things and Victoria Secret bags filled with wonderful things too, but nothing beats silicone tongs, dutch ovens, new knives, and food processors...nothing I tell you.

So Monday and Tuesday were get back to work, school, exercising, and are a total blurr.

So here it is Wednesday and I actually had time last night to go buy a lottery ticket, dream about what we would do with $355 million, and sit on my couch and watch The Biggest Loser.  

Things are back to normal, in their places,...and in perspective.

More Later

- A Ro