HOW IS IT NOT FRIDAY ALREADY!?!?!? [Originally posted: 30 Aug 2007|07:43pm]

[ mood |
sore ]




[ music | open toes - katharine mcphee ]

Oh. My. Gosh. It has been a LONG time since I've been in this much pain. Everything (back, feet, legs, etc.) hurts.

"What have you been doing, Charity? Lifting weights? Running? Yoga? Why are you so sore?"
Standing. ALL DAY. No, I haven't worked out, unless you wanna classify walking 3 miles with my classes outside today, in 95 degree weather and 90% humidity, exercise. Or it could be walking out to and from (4x a day) the bus I drive, to shuttle our athletes to and from the middle school and high school (about a quarter of a mile each way from the parking lot to my office inside). I need to ice my feet. I wear tennis shoes but they're not meant to be worn 12 hours a day, 5 days a week. And, my foot doctor told me not to wear my socks all day, but I really don't wanna change socks and expose people to sweat socks, lol...It's just a gross idea....Feet are disgusting!! Why do we have them?!?!?

So *that's* why I'm sore.

I am still in love with my classes though. Sixth graders absolutely rock. They are annoying and a little too clingy sometimes, but they are also pretty sweet and innocent and still have a thirst to learn. Which is pretty cool. They are starting to get the hang of the rules, but I definitely have to stay on them the ENTIRE time.

I've been doing good on my eating habits, too. So, hopefully, I might have lost a few pounds this week.

Oh, and I just found out my old college roomie/matron of honor is gonna have a baby boy!!! So exciting!!

This is definitely my least favorite time of the year: School starts. Football season starts (I lose a husband for 6 months). Volleyball season starts (I love coaching it, but it means longer workdays, lol). If I can manage to make it through this I can do anything ;) On that note, I talked to my fertility nurse/specialist lady and she said that I can probably start trying for a baby in the next month :) Please keep us in your prayers. We have been wanting to conceive for a few years now, and would love nothing more than God's blessing on this. Thanks so much. I love you guys!!

God Bless and have a wonderful weekend!!! I know I will enjoy all THREE BEAUTIFUL, GRAND, AND MAGNIFICENTLY LAZY DAYS OF IT :-)

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!! [Originally posted: 27 Aug 2007|06:15pm]

[ mood | tired ]





[ music | paranoid android - sia ]

Well, 1 day down...186 more to go!!! lol...okay, so this was probably the best first day I've had in my career. Probably because, out of my 3 previous years of teaching, this is the first time I have the same assignment two years in a row!! WOO!!! Stable is good :-) The 6th graders (around 11 yrs old) were adorable wandering around, searching desperately for their classrooms. And, bless 'em if our campus isn't undergoing major renovations where half the classroomss listed on their schedules don't exist anymore, lol. Poor lil' guys!

I am being a hard teacher this year. I have told them they have to say "Yes M'am" and look people in the eye when someone's talking. Plus they have to cheer for one another anytime somebody does something right. And I'm making them keep a log of everything the eat and all their work outs so they can learn about calorie intake/outtake. But I'm gonna keep my own for them to use as a guide AND every time my PE classes work out, I work out. Volleyball practice starts Wednesday (AUGH!) at 6:30am. Then I get to go workout at 6pm. I am trying to lose like a TON of weight by the end of May. Plus, we are thinking of putting in a pool next summer!!!!! (Double AUGH!!!) Can u say "pool party"?? And you're all invited :-)

Oh, and as if this post couldn't get anymore random, I made spaghetti with fake ground beef crumbles last night (and leftovers for lunch today). It was delicioso!!! I never would've thought so, but it's true!

HOPE EVERYONE HAS A GOOD WEEK!!! GOD BLESS!

Is there really just two days til school starts?? [Originally posted 24 Aug 2007|11:42pm]

[ mood | pensive ]





[ music | my playlist (on my myspace) ]

Well, I don't know that I'm stressing so much as I feel like I have lots to get done. Not that I'm rushed or anything, just that I want it all to come out really well so I really want to think about it before producing it. For example, I am going to have my Phys. Ed. students keep a nutrition and exercise log along with a goal calendar in my class. So, I'm creating mine as an example. Only problem is, I want it to be simple enough for them to be able to make one themselves (its in a 3-subject spiral notebook, you know, the kind with the built-in dividers?) but also complex enough for them to keep track of nutritional value, calorie expenditure, and whether or not they're meeting their goals. I really don't feel like I did my best last year as a PE teacher, so I really wanna do better this time around :) Once I make it I will post it here so you guys can see it, too! hehe...I think it could be a great thing if I follow-up with them on it and show them how easy it can be. But, the hardest part will be making sure I, myself, keep up with my own. Plus, I have to type up a rubric for how it will be graded, along with first-day of school rules, procedures, etc.

It wouldn't be so bad if my school wasn't undergoing major renovative construction on the gym!!! I have nowhere to work out with these kids!!! We will go outside when we can but it is a HUNDRED DEGREES OUTSIDE! So, I'm just trying to figure out how this can all work :)

I am so glad I get to sleep in tomorrow and Sunday! WOO!!!

I did find out that from Aug 29th until probably the first of October, I will be working eleven hour days 3 days a week and 16 hour days the other 2 days of the week. Why? Because we have to use an off-campus facility for volleyball practice due to the renovations on our school's gym. It pretty much sucks, but what can you do? I just have to turn it into a positive because for the kids because they are going through these growing pains, too. But don't worry, I'll be sure and fill you guys in on my exhaustion levels ;-)

YAY FOR THE WEEKEND!!!

God Bless!

Almost Done with Inservice!!! [Originally posted 23 Aug 2007|10:32pm]

[ mood | exhausted ]





[ music | Miscommunication - Timabaland feat. Keri ]

It's 10:30pm and I am so exhausted that I'm not sleepy...You know what I mean? Like, have you ever been so tired you couldn't fall asleep? I have not fallen asleep before 1am all week, and I've been getting up around 6-6:30am. I don't know what is wrong with me but its making me sleepy around midday but then I get less sleepy once I get home from work because I know thats the only time I have to do stuff *I* wanna do...hope this is making sense as I am really delirious right now, hehe.

RANDOM LIST OF MY TOP 5 LOVE SONGS AT THE MOMENT:
1. A Message - Coldplay
2. Life is Beautiful - Vega4
3. Sail Away - David Gray
4. Signal Fire - Snow Patrol
5. Your Guardian Angel - Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

Oh, and I never mentioned what books it was that I bought that day I went shopping with mi madre. Here they are:
*Aladdin and other Tales of Arabian Knights
*Gulliver's Travels
*Edgar Allan Poe: Complete Tales of Mystery and Imagination
*The Complete Tales and Poems of Winnie the Pooh
*Best Known Works: Ibsen
*Best Known Works: Oscar Wilde
*The Once and Future King
*The Complete Ultimate Hitchhikers's Guide to the Galaxy

Here's a picture of the new IKEA bookshelf I put all my new books on :)


















And this is a random pic of where I put our new PC. The room will be eventually be a nursery **throws up a prayer** soon!!!


















Oh my gosh, am I tired?!?!?! We have spent all week in meetings--well, I take that back. Yesterday, the entire staff of the school I work for (Frank Seale MS) was taken on a "field trip", complete with school buses to the Ft. Worth Stockyards TEXAS HUMAN MAZE. It was a blast!!! It has been shown on the reality show, "The Amazing Race" and was a maze that we were put into teams of 6-7 for. My team had our principal on it. We had to decide whether to split up or stay together as a team and hunt through the maze for hole punches to punch our card to spell out the word "maze" and then find our way to the exit. It took me and my good friend Dawn 13 minutes to maneuver it together, but our team did not fare well, so we lost :( lol, but it was so much fun nobody really cared (that's what losers say, right? hehe)

The day before that every teacher in Midlothian (my district), Waxahachie, and Ennis Independent School Districts were brought to the Waxahachie Civic Center for a motivational speech from Ron Clark (www.ronclarkacademy.com). Well, if any of you know who he is, Ron was named Teacher of the Year here in the US and has a movie made about him (he's only like 35 or something, too!! it is crazy how awesome this guy is!!). He made me want to do everything I do differently...more passionately...the BEST motivational speaker I've ever heard. He is a Southern boy who has worked in economically disadvantaged schools (ON PURPOSE) and has completely revolutionized those schools. Because he gave a damn. Plain and simple.

Tomorrow, we get to work in our classrooms all day and we are not SUPPOSED to have any meetings but I've already got two that have been scheduled for me...oh wait, I take that back. THREE!!! woo :( Oh well, at least I can get work done on the comput----oh WAIT!! No, I can't do that because someone hogs the computer all day in our office :(

God Bless!

Sunday, bloody Sunday

Current mood: cheerful




Current music: lose control - evanescence

OK, so this wasn't a bad day at all, but I always wanted to say that (my subject title), lol...I always look forward to Sunday nights now since I got hooked on Flight of the Conchords which airs Sunday nights at 9:30 CST on HBO. Its hilarious!!! My mom selah61 got me hooked on it, so I made some icons for her today:

1	2	3
4	5	6
7	8	9
10	11	12
13	14	15
16

I am in an exceptionally cheerful mood because I just got done watching FotC (it was BRILLIANT). Normally, the Sunday night before school starts (well, teachers go back tomorrow and students return next Monday), I am in a flat-out pissy mood. But things are good and I guess I'm ready to get back into a routine. This afternoon Jay and I got a cheapo leather computer chair for me, which is soooo much better than the aluminum folding chair I was using (really hard on the buttocks, lol). Then we put together the bookcase I got at IKEA with Ashley yesterday. It was cheap but it looks really sharp and I can add to it which is a really good thing. So now I can put the new books I bought on it, and find out just what it is I bought, hehe...

Well, I best be off now so I can get ready for school tomorrow :-(
Darn...12 hour days are so fun!

I HATE TECHNOLOGY!! okay, not really, but it does frustrate the poop outta me

[ mood | discontent ]




[ music | Life Is Beautiful - Vega4 ]

It should not be this hard!!! It just really should not be this difficult to transfer files and applications from one PC to another!!! grrrrrr...especially when I have a portable 250GB external hard drive to help speed things along...But, since we got the new desktop last night, it has been nothing but DRAMA!!! **unimpressed**

Of course, since it's new it came with the EVIL Windows Vista program. I am trying to be patient with it, but it hurts my head. So, we got a good wireless router as well since we have cable internet on our other PC and we attempted to connect them last night. Nope, the router installed but the card would not :-( Jay finally got a hold of tech support this morning and got that straightened out. But I have had other problems. We got the PC mainly so I could have one to do my writing on (uninterrupted). We had a laptop but it recently died...poor thing was a little overworked. RIP.

So, I installed Ulead (my video editing software yellowbee hooked me up with..bless u girl!!) and it didnt work. Eventually, I figured it out, but now it won't play AVI files anywhere on the new PC. Which ALL of my video files I use for editing are formatted in. My only option is to convert them all to WMV format I think, which will take AGES!!! Double grrrrrrr...Then, I attempted to install Photoshop. Nope, it rejected the serial number...WTF??? splodge04 was kind enough to give me the CORRECT serial number because apparently the one on my system info was 4 digits short...CRAZINESS!!! Thanks KK ;-) Only problem is now, I can't get the InstallShieldWizard to come back up since it's already been through that process a couple times...I NEED YOUR HELP AGAIN KK!!! You're such a good friend...no, I mean it!!! :-p

But, it doesn't end there! So, next I register my iPod for this new PC and download iTunes and all that mess. Well....it won't let me import my iPod because apparently they don't let ppl do that because they're afraid of song-stealing...HELLO?!?!? It's already going on with things like limewire, ARES, etc...ppl don't steal iTunes, they pay for that STUFF!!! WHAT ARE YOU THINKING STEVE JOBS?!?!?!? grrrr....so I spent about four hours getting music files onto my external hard drive and then opening them (30% of them, one at a FRIGGIN time) on iTunes. And, here's the KICKER: the ones I actually PAID FOR with iTunes, won't open because even though I put in my password and username, it just goes to the music store, never allowing me to open the songs....THAT I BOUGHT FROM ITUNES!!! For goodness sake, what is WRONG with the world???? Guess I will be making CD's of those songs tomorrow to beat the system and rip them to my PC that way...Oh yes, Jobs, I will be victorious in the end!!!

But I'm not bitter.

:D

Oh, and Jay's car battery went ka-plooey this morning because of the friggin heat! So, after dragging my happy butt outta bed, taking him to work, dealing with roadside assistance (who couldn't get it fully charged), tow trucks, dealerships, $95 in charges, and a TOTAL wasted day off later, it's fixed.

This is not how I envisioned spending my last weekend before teachers have to report back to school on Monday (NOOOOOOOO!!!!). Hope everyone else had a better day :-) At least I *look* good.....MUWAHAHAHAHA!!!! Oh my gosh, I'm so just kidding!!! Delirium has set in!!!

Peace out and God Bless!

Good Gosh, I keep slacking!! (Originally posted Aug 16th)

[Mood - - rejuvenated]




[Music - Life is Beautiful - Vega4]



Alrighty then, it's time to get back on track here!!!

A couple weekends ago I got to see my long lost sisters from OC!!! We had lunch at a little place in Ft Worth and then went shopping for some maternity clothes for Amanda :-) Here's some pics:






We had an awesome time, but I was a little nervous that since I hadn't seen them in so long, it would be awkward....NOT A CHANCE!!! We couldn't stop talking and laughing. I love those girls!! I wish I could see them more :-) But at least we have the internet now to keep in touch!

*subject change* lol

Okay, last time I wrote I had just been "reborn" as an avid reader, hehehe...I have since decided to start collecting books. Old, new, good, bad, whatever.

Last Thursday night, my mom and I spent about 6 hours at book stores just gazing at all the old collector's books Half-Price had for like just a few bucks!!! I ended up spending $60 over the next two days on books (I know that's alot to spend, but I just KEPT ON FINDING THE BOOKS I WAS LOOKING FOR!!!). It was so much fun because my mom is a literary buff (also one of the best unknown writers in the world...seriously, she's AMAZING and I can only hope to be a tenth of as good as she is one day) and we just sounded like the biggest nerds ever talking all educated and stuff through the stores, lol. I was bummed because they had an 80-year old copy of Dickens' Bleak House but only the first volume!!! Hopefully I'll find a full collector's version somewhere. Anyways, so we realized how late it was and we were STARVING so we went to PF Changs (YUM!) and ate some Hot and Sour Soup and this vegetarian dish that was so spicy we couldnt eat it, hehe. It was good to get to spend some time with her since I get so busy during the school year.

One of my favorite books of all time The Once and Future King by T.H. White we looked ALL over for, but had no luck. So, the next day, after I picked up my permanent license plates that had come in to the Ft Worth Kia, I went to Half-Price in Arlington. I looked again for the TH White book in like 5 different sections, no luck...until I happened to notice some out-of-place books in the sci-fi section!!! There it was!! A hardback first-edition printing of TOaFK!!! And it was less than $7!!! Plus, they also had the complete version of all 6 (thats right--all six!) Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy stories in one book that I had been searching desperately for (one that was cheaper than the $20 version Barnes & Noble just put out.

Then, Mom called to say that she found the first edition Alice's Adventure in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass that Nanny left her after she passed away. Pretty cool ;-)

I know some people out there who are REAL book collector's and don't think its cool just to buy old books because you ENJOY reading them or don't care if they have dog-earred pgs, spines, etc. but I think its neat. Especially when I find a book that has a hand-written dedication in it to a family member etc. (we found one that was over a hundred yrs old that had a father-to-son dedication, that would make the son like 90!!).

I have had the week off and its been hella-nice!! I have been cleaning and shopping and relaxing! Yesterday, Jay and I finally decided to bite the bullet and take our old PC in to see what was wrong with it whether it was expensive or not. So, we take it to the Geek Squad (thats seriously what they're called) at Best Buy and within minutes they have diagnosed it as a motherboard problem and say they can recover the files **squeal** All our files we thought we'd lost!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOHOO!!!!!! So, we got back the wedding story we wrote each other, music, videos, pictures, documents, etc.!!! It was an awesome day!! Plus, we may decide to buy a second PC because we fight over our one all the time and I can't imagine how mean I'll be to Jay if he tries to make me get off the computer when I'm in the middle of a writing thought-process.

Today I'm finally getting my hair done (havent done that since March!). Just getting it recolored and cut. Then, maybe we'll go shopping for a second PC tonite :)

I know I've probably left a crap-load of stuff out---OH YES I DID!!!!!!!!!!! Gillian Anderson's people put on her website, like yesterday or something, that she FRIGGIN PULLED OUT OF THE "HELEN" PROJECT (which has an estimated shooting start of SEPTEMBER, which is REALLY close to NOVEMBER!!!!) !! If you don't know why I'm so excited then you might be one of the last people who haven't heard David Duchovny and GA both say that they think filming for X-Files 2 may start in November **holds in her shriek of excitement** OMG, I hope that is why she pulled out of "Helen"!!!
(please excuse my X-Files nerdiness, but thats just who I am, hehe)


Sorry for the long post, but I had to catch up --again--

God Bless!!