long time, no blog

Man do I miss getting my therapeutic ranting out! 

I should have checked to see when the last time I posted was in case there has been anything really extreme that's happened, but oh well.  Work has been ridiculously hectic and I barely have time to check and read emails at the present.  

Today I'm posting positive thoughts and happy memories for the future.  I'm in Paris (TN) visiting with half of my family for Christmas.  Yesterday dad and DH went and processed the three deer that the DH took out last week.  They were gone for over six hours taking care of em'.  They arrived just in time for a fabulous dinner: baked ham, scalloped potatoes, cream corn, black eye peas (which I actually ate and kind of enjoyed), deviled eggs, and stuffed olives.  Then hours later a fabulous orange pound cake that Uncle Mike pulled out all the stops on.  This year he decorated it with mandarin oranges and a whipped item in the center.  Delicious as usual. 

I didn't help with dinner, but I did take care of the finger foods to add to the left overs for today.  I made spinach artichoke dip and a salmon ball.  I've discovered why the dip is SOOOO tasty, it's fat, fat, and more fat with a few veggies thrown in to be eaten with sweet bread or tasty crackers.  Guess I'm going to have to try and make this or maybe this one.  They both sound really really yummy.  I might even attempt to mix and match em' and create a twisted recipe.  I like the fact that the first one uses a wee bit of mayo (it's one of my least favorite condiments) and the second one uses cream cheese (which I would substitute Laughing Cow Light that I LOVE) and the bite of crumbled feta. 

Now the salmon ball is a bit of a different story.  We've had it every year for Christmas as a finger food for as long as I can remember.  Up until last year I've never been too fond of it.  Well this year I told dad that I would take care of the finger foods while he was out cleaning.  I was very prepared for my small tasks at hand but my Uncle didn't think I could do it and insisted on helping.  In the beginning it frustrated me, but I ended up being a bit thankful.  He taught me something I didn't know.  We use canned salmon for the ball and I just assumed it was like canned tuna, I WAS WAY WRONG!  That stuff was pretty nasty upon first sight.  It looks like a real fish with the heads and tails cut off and stuffed in there.  Mike cleaned the skin, bones, and fatty tissue pieces.  I would have just opened it up and dumped it out the way I do tuna.  So next year I'll be able to do it myself or any other time I want one or wanna share one.  

Haven't had either one of the apps yet, but I'm sure it will be tasty with all the left overs this afternoon/evening.  Later coconut cake!!!

Now on to the wonderful, thoughtful, amazing gifts....  When we got here Tuesday night we settled in and watched some TV.  When it was time for dad to go to bed he beckoned me over and told me that he wanted his quilt so I could have the first one now (the quilt was covering it).  It was a large box and I knew that there was something that we were getting big because dad made sure that DH was driving.  I thought it was a safe, but nope it was something even more unexpected: a humidifier!  I'm sure you're thinking "woo hoo, who really wants or needs one of those", but we (or at least I) do.  We have natural gas for heat at home and every year when it kicks on I get sick.  The heat is so dry.  I always have to put jars of water by the vent.  Not anymore!!!  The humidifier is supposed to work in 2,000 square feet which is larger than our home.  I can't wait to put it up and see if it works.  Last night after dinner we exchanged the rest.  One of the packages dad told me that I had to guess what it was before I could open it.  I wasn't able to open it until I guessed it right, no limits on guesses or anything.  I was all over the place with my questions and would have been going forever if dad hadn't given me THE best clue: "you can't find it on the shelf any more" (I knew that he'd ordered it off the Internet).  I didn't know if "you" meant generalized or me in specific.  Once he told me me in specific I knew right away.  He got me a "case" of the best stuff ever.  I've only been able to buy it at stores two times and it's my all time favorite tea!  I've been searching for a comparable product and hording my last bag or two like golden treasure.  Now I'll be able to consume it on regular basis!  

Dad and Aaron were so tickled that I got excited over something so simple, but I'll never forget it, especially while I'm drinking the tasty elixir.  

Now we get to do two days of celebrating with DH's family and he goes off to Gatlinburg and I"m headed off to do Christmas with my mom and her side of the family.   

caradge

So I've created something unexpected, but yummy.  I was trying to make fudge and this is what I've got instead.  

I've learned that "chocolate morsels" CAN NOT be replaced with caramel morsels.  The fudge never hardened and I had to reheat it in the oven.  Also I've learned that my "all knowing" uncle doesn't know all!  Also double boiling fudge isn't the way to go, do it on the eye.  

Even though it's not fudge, it is still good and will so satisfy the rich caramely chewy pumpkin desire.  Can't wait to try again later on at home on my own. 

Pumpkin "butter"

Woo Hoo!  I did it!  I made homemade pumpkin "butter".  It is SOOOOO tasty, just officially ate some on toast and can't wait to eat more.

It was super easy: 

create recipe from others to what I like

mix ingredients

cook (double boiled until temp. reached 180)

"can" it

I also learned how to "can" yesterday.  Kinda easier than I thought.  Hafta boil (to sanitize) the jars and tops.  Fill jars, put lids on really tight, and boil again for 10 minutes.

The most important things to know is do not contaminate boil water and sanitized items, lift filled boil jars out straight up and down, and MAKE SURE TO SMOOSH ALL PRODUCT DOWN so there isn't any air pockets in the jar.  

I wish I had taken pictures of the process like so many blogs I read but oh well, maybe next time because there WILL BE A NEXT TIME!!!!!

It's also really exciting because I figured out the WW points: each jar is only 6 points!  On a typical use I will probably only use a tbsp or two which is 0 points!!!!

Can't wait to eat and share.

Now I'm off to make pumpkin fudge which is way more points.  The whole recipe is 99 points and about 3 points per piece (damn caramel bits, nuts, and marshmallow cream). 

dear canker sore

PLEASE GO AWAY!!!!




This damn thing started as a spot where I accidentally bit my lip.  Since I bit it really good it was swollen which means I bit the spot again! 


Needless to say the over biting has made tiny little holes which turned into the canker sores.  It was just two little holes, but those grew and now I've got a large puffy sore area.


I don't like you, please heal.


ASAP, thank you.

what if?

So my DH was watching House the other night while I was reading my book.  I got tired and retired to the bedroom to go to bed. 

I wasn't quite as tired as I thought because I ended up staying awake and watching the rest of the episode (45 minute long entering at 20 minutes in).  It was the very last episode of the season.  Of course I haven't been watching the whole season with him, but I've already seen it and I know what is going to happen.  None-the-less I still ENDED up crying!  I felt so silly, damn hormones.

So if you've seen the end of season 4 you know what happens.  For those who haven't: Wilson's (the leads male's BF) GF has been in an accident and is in a medically induced coma.  The diagnostic team is trying to figure out what's wrong with her so they can save her.  Now fast forward a good twenty plus minutes............
She's been taking some kinda drug for the flu and her kidney (which is "broken" from the accident that put her in the hospital) isn't detoxing her so the drug is poisoning her body.  Basically she ISN'T GOING TO LIVE no matter what the team does.  Wilson's in a dilemma of whether or not to wake her up and say good bye or just "pull the plug".  I'm not going to tell you what he did, if ya wanna know go find out.

My what if questions is: What if it were you?

If your spouse was in a coma and you knew they weren't going to live, would you wake them up to say good bye?  Or would you just let them go from the coma state?

My DH and I were talking and (I think decided) that if it was him he would want to be woken up so he could say good bye to me (if I didn't he would be extremely mad at me).  He thinks that if it was me he would let me slip out through the coma because I would freak out the last hours of life instead of embracing it and making peace with all my loved ones.

I'm not sure what I would want because he's right, I'm a super uptight stressed freak and he isn't.  He's way more calmer than me.  But I so feel like an awful person.  I would want to be woken up too so I could say bye.  Especially if I wasn't with him when I went into the coma.  

How bout you, what would you do?   

much needed update

So it's been almost two weeks since I've blogged last.  I've been semi busy and kinda got a bit discouraged.  I was supposed to do a "tag blog"' and never did (sorry Lindsay).  Not even really sure where to find that to follow through. 


Well let's see what I can remember...........


Not too much since this past week was CRAZY!!!


     Monday at 3:15 my LT/co teacher actually got FIRED!  I can't believe it.  After everything that has happened in the last nine months she is just now having it happened.  I also can't believe it because she and the director are friends, I thought there wasn't anything she could do wrong. 
     I'll admit I miss her just a little even though she made my life a living hell more often than not.  It's kinda weird not talking to her on a daily basis out on the playground.  I've tried contacting her a few times over the past week just to see what's going on and what happened, but she hasn't gotten back to me. 
     So for anyone who's wondering I'm in the classroom by myself, with six (sometimes five) kids.  Doesn't sound like a big deal, but the company isn't hiring anyone to replace her because we are moving at the end of the month.  That means that for the next whole month I have to do five/six daily notes a day, enter their information on the net for the govt. to read, and do the rest of the paperwork that we typically split.  The hardest part of the day is 10:30 to 11:00 and I'm hoping that I 'll get consistent help during this time. 
     I don't like saying this "out loud" but I kinda wish they had done this back in April/May when she was on probation because I feel like I'd be happier possibly overall if they had.  For IF SAKE: if they had I'd applied to be the lead in my room and take her spot.  Maybe I'd gotten it since it's my room.  IF I was the LT then maybe I'd be the LT in the new part time classroom instead of the assistant to Candy who hasn't a clue what to do (I do like the girl, but I have a feeling I might have a bit of resentment when we get together, esp. when she goes to ask me something I shouldn't have to tell her). 


I'm still waiting to hear from the other place, which is really sad because they hoped to have someone in there on the 16th of August and they still don't says my inside source.  Plus my source told me the other place just lost another person that I'd be a shoe in for.  Now I need to get the balls up to call and inquire. 


I've started going to physical therapy (PT) this week and love it!  I was a bit worried, but it's not too terrible yet.  The second opinion Dr. recommended 2x a week for 4 weeks.  The therapist wants 3x a week for 8 weeks and got his wish approved.  I know that this frustrates my director but maybe if she had let me rest when it happened instead of making me stay and work and letting the other girl with a migraine leave early. 


OH yeah, Saturday night I chipped a front tooth FLOSSING!  It was the tooth that I had work done on a few years back and the dentist filed it down, so it was thin already, but still flossing shouldn't make a tooth break!  So now I need to make a last minute visit to the dentist.  I tried to get an appointment for the 4th and did, but the evil director wouldn't approve the request to be off.  She told me because there was another person off already.  I'm so tired of that lame excuse, one of these days I'm going to pull out all the campus news letters and show her how many times there have been multiple people off on the same day, even a few days in a row!  She wants me to get a dentist here so that I could take a mid week day off instead of a Monday, but I'm chicken poo and can't do it just yet.  Not to mention I feel like I shouldn't have to pay for the work because after all it wouldn't have happened if the dentist hadn't filed the tooth down to make it thin.  So I'm hoping that by going to the original dentist they'll cut me a little slack.  I've got an appointment for the 18th which is 3 WEEKS after it chipped.  The director told me the only way I could have the day off is if I make sure to attend the mandatory meeting that is that evening.  I told her I'd be there unless the dentist had to do a little extra work since I had to put off the treatment.  (My dad had something similar happen and he only waited a week and was out of commission for two days).  I've been super careful and not biting anything and rinsing often to keep anything out of the hole. 


This past week I actually made contact with the girl who was supposed to be in our wedding as a bridesmaid last October.  She apologized through text and I actually saw her last night for a minute (literally).  She's getting married June 4th 2011.  I told her if she needed any help to please not hesitate and call.  We'll see how that pans out.  I know that I reconnected with a couple of dear friends seven months before our wedding and it was one of the best things to happen. 


I'm so glad FALL is here.  I know there are tons of people out there who say they love fall and it's their favorite time of year and it makes me wonder how they physically feel.  I know every morning I go outside there is the lightest feeling with in me.  I just feel like I could literally fly with happiness at the feel and smell and sight of this season. 


We had a pretty busy day yesterday.  We went to the banana pudding festival and it was good.  I wish that I had my phone with me so I could've taken photos to post, but you'll just have to take my word on it.  We visited the "pudding path" and got to try 8 different kinds of banana pudding (which was a total of about a pound of pudding!!!).  There were other interesting things there and made me miss my child hood a bunch.  Then we went to a winery and my DH actually tasted a few wines and liked one!  I couldn't believe it. 


During our regular grocery shopping I bought an edible pumpkin and am going to try and cook it like a squash/potato!  I hope it turns out good, I'll let y'all know when I do.  For anyone who's interested Save-A-Lot has a circular in the mail for whole chickens at $.79 a lb and chuck roasts at $2.49 a lb, which is an AMAZING deal!  I"m leaving here to go get some in a little.  I'm going to try my hand at making a smoked chicken and two roast chickens (one to eat and one to make home made chicken noodle soup). 


Oh yeah, so I've discovered that I also have to buy a new woman's wear item.  I've been loosely following the WW plan and have gotten almost down to my pre college weight.  It's true what they say (at least for me) and I've lost the weight in one of the number one places.  I just thought the woman's wear items were old and I needed new ones.  NOPE, I checked it out and there's room for a small water balloon in there.  It makes me sad because I really really liked that asset about myself (it made me feel skinnier since they stuck out over the fat).  Now I've got itty bitties (sorta).  Not to mention its so much easier to eat what I want instead of having to actually think about it. 


Hmmmmm........


I guess that's bout it.  I'm going to try and do better about posting. I've been super busy trying to plan an anniversary vacation and that's what I've spent my free time doing instead of blogging.  I think we've finally decided so now I just need to put it to action. 


Have a good one.

my help

I'm doing this post because I found a website that I think I may really like, but I don't have the time to investigate it. 

I'm using this as a way to remember to visit http://www.eatingoutloud.com/ .

The writer hasn't posted in a bit, but I still wanna check it out. 

should she?

So this is a post for opinions people. 

Backstory: 
My coworker says "I don't feel well" first thing as I walk into the room.  I told her to join the crowd (b/c everyone feels bad all the time around here).  She's been up all night visiting the toilet king and supposedly continues to do so here at school and is just giving him liquid.  Before I can even ask what's wrong she proceeds to tell me "We went to the fair last night and I ate a bunch of 'dirty' food".  I said wait a minute I gotta hear this.  She ate: a foot long corn dog, a foot long polish sausage, a large order of smothered fries (chili, cheese, ranch, and onions and possibly bacon), a candy apple, and some of her mom's roasted corn on the cob.  WELL OF COURSE YOU DA, you're going to feel bad, that's a whole lot of grease and junk to put into one person's stomach!  Just listening to her talk about it made me a tad bit queasy. 

OPINION TIME:
She wants to go home at 1:00 b/c she's queasy/sick.  Should she be allowed?

IMO
I don't think so, she's the one who at all that crap.  It's her own fault she's sick.  If she gets to go home then by golly I'm gonna get s#!+faced and call out saying that I'm sick.  It's the same concept, you ate it, you deal with it.

I'm out, let me know what ya think.

UPDATE
She did not get to go home!  I said something to the AD and she felt the same as I. 

Stuffed Chicken

So last week I had my DH go to the store and pick me up some stuff to make broccoli slaw for a gathering at the preschool.  Well Costco let me down, they didn't have the kit! 


Instead I attempted to make it from scratch.  So my DH bought two three pound bags of broccoli florets.  Mind you I told him to; but then again I was on the phone and had no clue how big the bags were or how much broccoli that was.  Just for anyone who is curious three pounds of FLORETS is A LOT.  I guess they weigh less than the bunch which has a stem attached so it takes quite a bit more. 


So I only needed one three pound bag to make a monster bowl of broccoli slaw (which looked like stage 3 baby food btw, I really wish I had that kit) which left me with three pounds of fresh broccoli florets.


What on earth am I going to do with that much broccoli?  DH's first suggestion is to make broccoli and cheddar soup.  I'm okay with that, except I need to find a "healthy" version considering cheese is way fattening.  So I'm on the hunt for it, until then we will probably freeze a lot of the broccoli and use it when I find the recipe.


Well while looking at recipes I came across one that was broccoli and stuffing stuffed chicken breast.  I also realized that my DH LOVES chicken, broccoli, and rice casserole, so I called my dad to help me mix the recipes. 


DUH, why didn't I think of what he suggested?  All I could think of was broccoli stuffed breasts over rice, but how on earth do I cook rice in the oven?  I really wanted the chicken juices to flavor the rice.  After talking it over with my dad I ended up making broccoli and rice stuffed chicken breasts. 

Dont' they look inviting?  DH's is the one on top, which is strange because he had way more stuff stuffed inside, yet mine (on the bottom) looks like a monster compared to his.  For anyone curious on a WW scale mine was only 7 points for the whole thing!  His was more like 11 or 12 points.  

why you?

you gotta have attitude with me?

I know that sounds "ghetto", but seriously!  I asked my co teacher a question this morning and her response was "do you see him?".  Of course not or I wouldn't have asked! 

She's irked because she has to be alone in the room with 4 KIDS, ooh big freakin' deal, get the f over it.  It's not my fault the other class has two teachers missing and I have to be a fill in.

I'll admit I'm enjoying it a bit because it's not the North Pole, but the kids are way more rambunctious. 

That's it, couldn't say it out loud to any of the people here because I can't trust a soul.

Have a good weekend bloggers.

take a moment

So I was going to do a post earlier this week, but didn't have time.  I'm glad I didn't because then there would be two posts that are almost exactly the same.

We've had a bit of a sad week in our home this week.  My DH lost Penny (the tarantula) on Tuesday.  Then I woke up yesterday morning to find Calais (my convict cichlid) doing a head stand in the rocks.  By one o'clock, she was gone. 

We had them for five years.

Chef's Market

I'd like to take a moment and thank Beth over at Eat.Drink.Smile for letting her followers know about this place.  My husband and I had a date night and ate here last night. 

I wanted to go because of their dedication food weeks to Eat Pray Love.  This was the last week of the three week series. 

I was a bit worried on the way out because I wasn't sure what it was going to be like.  I called on Thursday and asked several questions about how it worked and the lady on the phone explained that it was an "upscale meat and three like buffet" when you do a CIT (chef inspired table).  Or you could pay for what you pick; three veggies, one meat two veggies, one meat three veggies, etc.  The more expensive kind of meat you pick (chicken vs salmon) the more you  pay.  Or you could order off their menu.   

Of course I didn't have a clue as to what she was talking about.  I'm thinking that we are going to go to a buffet like place where people serve me my food, kinda like cafeteria style (you know back in high school) and/or I could have a chef make food at our table like Kobe.  I'm hoping for the best at this point.

Well we get there and it's not as bad as I was thinking.  They have all these foods in coolers or warmer cases (kinda like Wal Mart has in the deli section where you can pick your food and eat while you shop or take it home). 

NOW I UNDERSTAND!!!  A person walks through and points or says what they want and the helper behind the counter scoops it up and plates it for ya. 

So if someone wants rice, veggies, fruit, and meat; you pay for whats on your plate!  Well my DH and I did the CIT.  This basically means that we can get anything and everything we want and as much or as little.  We could also "special order" what the chef is making at his table.  Which we ended up doing and ordered the duck special.  It's probably the most expensive way to go, but we got to try everything they serve in their displays.  DH and I didn't get too many of the same things and we shared bites of our stuff with each other. 

The best part (for me anyways) came towards the end.  I was thinking that we could only get one slice of cake with our CIT buffet, but NOPE we could get ENDLESS of that too! 

I'm not going to list everything we tried (that might be a bit embarrassing to write), but I will say that if I ever go back (which I told DH, I didn't want to because it's bad for me and my waistline) I know which items I would pick (and definitely suggest you try if you go): mashed potatoes (so cheesy and creamy), sweet potatoes (with a crunchy nutty cinnamony strudel like topping), baked beans, and a butter roll (literally melts in your mouth, I wasn't going to eat any bread, but when I tried this my first comment was "that melted, what was that?"). 

Isn't that awful!  I've been doing really well eating "healthy", this place kills that.  Its such great place to get some southern comfort food.  Makes me ready for the holidays.

P.A.B.

So there are several things I want to blog about, but I have to be quick and this is really up there on the scale of things that irk me.

Two weeks ago I invited all the girls here at work to go out to eat after work on Friday night.  I only invited them b/c I knew that they would think it would be fun.

There's a place that is doing a three week long dedication meal(s) to the book Eat Pray Love.  This is the last weekend it will be happening.  All of the girls have read the book and we talked about it ALOT!  Well within the last twenty minutes I've learned that the handful that was interested in going all have some reason they can't.  I expected it to be a "no" when I asked since it's a holiday weekend but they were all interested regardless. 

The shittiest excuse I heard is "I have to go grocery shopping tomorrow".  WTF  U can't do it when you get off at four?  Or you can't do it on Saturday, Sunday, or Monday since it's a long weekend.  What a bunch of BS!

That's it, I don't really feel better b/c now I don't know if I get to go.  I'm going to have to sweet talk my husband into going.  Which is going to be super hard b/c he has a standing guys night on Friday's and he missed it last week so he could go hunting.

holy schmoly

So I've stayed up to see the "two moon" night.  Supposedly Mars is going to be the closest to Earth that it gets and won't happen again for over 200 more years.  Went out there at midnight and not really sure that we saw it.  There was a brighter larger star next to the moon, but wasn't quite like it was described to us earlier in the day. 

While waiting I decided to look at all the blogs from my hometown, which is A LOT.  I made it through 1,000 members and the number to the end changed each time.  Really strange how it jumped around.  I was hoping to find out how many people from my city blog.  

While doing this task I realized that I wish there was a much better way to narrow down whose blog I want to view.  I discovered: I don't really like guys blogs, don't like younger or older women blogs, too many blogs dedicated to wedding stuff and then just stopped (I am so guilty of that), and I need a "professional" photo (they were more catchy to stop and look at).

I've tried really hard not to have a "food" blog, but really lean towards those.  Doesn't surprise me in the least.  I did find a few that I marked to follow and now I just need to catch up on some of them so I'm not way behind when the author posts again.

Have a good one.

just liked it

We went out to eat last night.  Pizza Hut in Paris and there were clowns.  I guess it's  regular Thursday night thing.  They did some pretty neat stuff with balloons.  One I liked but didn't get photo was a doll sized Tinkerbell.

This was one of the first ones they did that I saw before getting greasy with the good stuff

call me...

A grill master!  

So my wonderful husband decided a few weeks back that we needed to have homemade BBQ.  He and our roommate cleaned out our garage and unburied our smoker/grill in the process.  He said he was going to do it on a Saturday, but of course things came up and it didn't happen on the day he said.  

Well while we were at the grocery yesterday he decided it was time and he bought a ten pack of thighs to be smoked today.  Of course, being the weekend and all he wanted to sleep in.  So i got up around sevenish and did my regular morning routine and then being the super sweet wife that I am took over the plan.

I pulled the grill out (the hard way because I couldn't figure out how to open the large part of the garage door) and started the coals and wood chips.  I started this early (before eight because he said it takes ten hours to smoke and finish).  

Fast forward four hours give and take and this is what I've done: 

The left side is half the pulled chicken and the right is the half unpulled.  

When he woke up around 11, he had the bright idea that we should have bought more so that we could take some to my parents this weekend when we go visit.  Well I had to go to the store to buy the rest of the meal, which I might add he also left up to me to make the decision of what that would be, and realized that I could just buy more meat then.  So add three more piles that size and that's what I DID!!!!

I will admit that he did the prep work for the first batch of chicken: spice rub.  Which helped me for the second batch.

Well to compliment the meal I decided to have slaw, Kroger macaroni salad (which is AMAZINGLY delicious, and one serving is worth 9 WW POINTS!), and grilled veggies 

When I texted this picture to my dad his comment was "you cheated".  WHAT?!?  That silly man thought these were store bought skewers.  How complimentary!  I took the time and cut all these bad boys up and stab them myself, thank you very much.  This isn't the total batch, we also had six more small wooden skewers.

slow walkers

So I've clocked out for my lunch break and I'm headed to the back to do my business on the internet, when I get stuck behind dum dedum dum dum (taunting sound)..... A SLOW WALKER!!!!

So it got me to thinking - "will I slow down too when I get that age?".  I used to be a normal paced walker but met my now husband and had to learn to walk FAST.  My two steps for his one, so I'm literally double timing it.

Anywho, I've noticed that, upon thinking about it, that it appears that the older a person gets the slower they start to walk.  Take my dad for example.  When we go to the store I literally walk circles around him!  He says "there isn't a rush", but there is.  To get back to relaxing DUH.  Then while working as a server one of the oldest ladies that works there is UNGODLY slow!  I used to couldn't stand to get behind her.  Now I'm thinking great behind the slow walker and two minutes out of my precious 30 minute break time waiting and walking at her pace.

I hope I don't slow down too much when I get older.

umm... really?!?

+

on the license plate

Just really doesn't make that much sense to me!  Mind you it was a little old denture wearing man driving it, but still way too funny.

strawberries

This is another WW ish post.  I'm going out to dinner tonight with a friend and wanted to eat "super light" all day so I could eat "badly" at dinner.  Well I decided for breakfast I'd have two servings of scrambled egg white (1pt), a piece of toast (1 pt) and some strawberries (1 pt).  For lunch I made tomato and cucumber salad with onion (0 pt), orange (0 pt), yogurt (1 pt), and fresh cherries (1 pt), with a possibility of a cheese wedge (1 pt).  That totals to 6.

So while reading my handy dandy guide it says that a person can have 1 1/2 cup whole or sliced strawberries for 1 point with a max of 2 pts.  The max. number is supposed to be in case youre eating out and don't know the exact amount you've consumed.  My questions is how on earth can a person eat 1 1/2 cup whole strawberries for one 1 ptt as well as eating 1 1/2 cup sliced for 1 pt.  If I eat them whole I would only get a handful (maybe five or six), but slicing them I got TEN! 

Needless to say I ate them sliced, however I didn't eat the whole serving in one setting.  I ate a cup for breakfast and the other half for a mid morning snack.

Also I should mention just so I said it out loud that I didn't stay away from the cheese pizza sticks!  SHAME ON ME.  Oh well, maybe I'll do better at dinner. 

shame on me

So over the past week I've been reading this blog: http://elevenpoints.blogspot.com/ and am IN LOVE!! Kinda wish I could be a part or attempt to knock it off and have one here. Some times while I read it, I find it very encouraging to keep up my choices.

Anywho, today was a BAD DAY for my health. If you've read any of my past posts you'll know that I've been attempting to make healthier decisions when it comes to eating and usually I do.

Well today we had lunch provided: spaghetti, bread sticks, cookies, and cake. I knew it was happening and planned out a healthy way to consume above meal. I made a good choice for breakfast (cottage cheese with preserves) and drank 64 ounces of water within the two hours before the meal (in attempt to fill the belly with water so I wouldn't want so much good food). I also made a salad meal, with two fruits, and was only going to have a side of pasta.

Did I?

NO!!!

I had a full order of pasta and two bread sticks and didn't even count how many of those stupid oh so gooey chewy oatmeal raisin cookies! What makes all this worse is that I'm supposed, no am going to a friend's house this evening where I know there will be wonderful treats and adult beverages, which I haven't had in a very very looooonnnnnnggggg time b/c of this healthy choice making.

God if I was bulimic, don't ya know I would be in that bathroom still. I feel miserable of course. I told my self that since I didn't eat my salad for lunch than that's all I'm going to eat for dinner, but I'm so stuffed I don't even want that. But I know that as soon as I get there I'm going to see and smell it all. Should I bust the salad out and eat in front of them? Should I continue to shovel bad for me things, since my day is shot? Or should I just avoid it all together and only drink water and chew gum? If I do the last one I'll be starvin' Marvin by the time I get home. Maybe my belly will consume all the disgusting things I ate during the day.

Tomorrow I hope to start afresh and do a better job. I'm going to Costco and hope that I don't over indulge on all the fabulous samples. I'm going with my wonderful MIL and she steered me away from things last time we went. I hope she keeps it up tomorrow.

Woo Hoo

So it's Friday and the day wasn't too awful bad. We had inservice at the school today. Typically when we have inservice my LT makes me clean and sanitize ALL THE TOYS! Doesn't sound like too big of a deal, but let's count..... 36 (I think) buckets, full, to be dumped out, cleaned in soap water, then swished in bleach water, and put back in said buckets (which also have to be cleaned and sanitized), and then reshelf! It gets super duper exhausting! Today she only had me straighten them up and make sure there weren't any random toys in the wrong buckets. I try to do this daily so I only found six toys in the wrong buckets!

Then I got to do "easy" stuff: map, name tags, cutting (a lot), and a bit of paperwork. It was a nice reprieve.

Also our director fed us, which is a whole nother topic, a wonderful meal of spaghetti, bread sticks, cookies, and cake.

Well while I was cutting out letters our helper man came up to me and sorta basically kinda offered me a job, I think. He told me what he does. He started a small business: Rehabilitating Convicted Drug Addicts. The business is super super close to my house (with in 10 minutes). I got his email, now that I think of it I need to email him so he can send me updates.....done. It's really different from what I do now, but maybe that's what I need for my mommy clock to tick; getting away from children so I can have some of my own. From the way it sounded a licensed Therapist would set an "plan" and the counselors (my offer) would put it into motions while the Therapist isn't around. I think I could do that. It's basically what I do now, except with children with special needs. Put a plan into action. Wow it would be different to work with adults again.

The only sketchiness is that he doesn't know me from Bob off the street. He used to work for Vanderbilt and said he had a PhD in Psychology. He said that our HR lady suggested another past coworker who actually had a license to council, but she said no thanks. So he can't be too bad if our HR lady is going to point him in the direction of one of her people, right? I was outside, warming my bones, and he stopped to talk to me. Asked me if I liked working here and really liked me/my personalty from the first moment I stopped in the office to chat with the Director and AD. Oh yeah, he also said he would try to get me a contact out at Vanderbilt since I was still interested in working there too. Guess I must have made a good first impression, huh?!?

Bummer

So I received an email from the lady who I did a phone interview with about a part time position I REALLY WANT. I didn't get the job. I wish that I would have saved the email so that you could read it. The email was a tad bit confusing. I had to reread it three times and then call my husband to make sure I was reading it correctly. As of right now I'm rejected.

I still haven't heard back about the full time job I interviewed for in person yet, continuing to keep my fingers crossed.

EEEWWWW

So I've heard this commercial on the radio a few times now and can't believe it. It's super duper gross. I heard it while making dinner the other night and on my way to work again this morning.

Its the one about Matress Sale. It talks about how your matress is funky after eight years and what all has built up. Your matress has doubled in weight due to dead skin, dander, bed bugs and a variety of other disgusting stuff!!

Is this really true? EEEWWWW, Guess we should buy new matresses for all our room b/c lord knows how long our matresses have been around. And this time we should plastic them so none of that disgusting junk gets in there!

Just because

Well it's been almost a month since I've posted last. There isn't a real reason as to why I haven't, guess I just didn't have too much to complain or talk about really.

Just to start off, I had two interviews last week. One on Thursday that lasted 3 and 1/2 hours doing exactly what I do now, just for a better place (at least I think it is) and then a phone interview on Friday around noon to do what I sorta kinda went to school and got my degree in. The second one is only for a part time job working on Saturdays from 8 to 4, but by golly if it helps me reach my fullest potential in career world I would do a midnight shift!

Of course my LT is still being a B!t(h as usual. That could probably be a whole post on it's own, but I'm just plum fed up with it at the moment. I've complained enough verbally that I like to laugh at her now and just ignore her as much as possible.

On a better note I consulted on my very first TW party (thanks Lindsay) and I think it went REALLY WELL! I hope that I can get more bookings, I really enjoyed it. I get to go to a team meeting tomorrow night after my work meeting and we are playing with the Quick Chef, which is super fabulous.

Also I've discovered that even though I don't really have a themed blog, I really like to read ones about food. Imagine that, for those of you who know me personally. I'm going to try really hard to follow other topics (reading and movies maybe) and try even harder not to become one of the food blogs. I already think about the stuff enough as it is anyway, I don't need to talk about any more.

Well that sums it up really, I'm promising myself that I'm going to do better at blogging even if it's not to rant.

Peace

First Rally

So last night was the first of many Rally's to come for my new business as a Tupperware consultant. I ABSOLUTELY love the director of our branch and can't wait to attend the team metting in a week and a half.

I learned quite a bit of new stuff I didn't know about the company which makes it so much more exciting for me.

My first Grand Opening party is this Saturday and I'm stoked about what I'm making for my guests and hope they fall in love as much as I did after they hear about all the neat stuff the company offers.

BIG BIRD to you

So I didn't get the job I wanted. It was given to the girl who has only been here a week.

Of course I got WAY upset, but I did get offered the assistant in that room. In the beginning I said that I didn't really care what position I got as long as I was in that room and out from underneath my current coworker. I guess I should be thankful that I got in, I'm just a teensy weensy bit jealous.

Hopefully by October (when we move) I'll be over it and glad.

gotta get it out

This is probably going to be a super long post, but I gotta get it out. I'm trying to read my book for my book club which has to be done by Tuesday and seeing as I'm going to spend the weekend with a friend I don't suspect I'll have much time. Gotta release the 500,000 heart beat a second pressure so I can focus.

To bring anyone up to speed. I work as an Early Intervenionist at a preschool. I've been here since March 2006 (now four years). I started out as an assistant in a Toddler room (12 months to 18 months), got moved to Two year olds in May, and then a year later got moved to the young Twos (which is now just twos class). As you may be able to tell in the past four years there have been numerous changes while I've hung out and loved my job.

Well a few months ago an oppurtunity arose for a different, possibly better, more educated, more experienced position that I wanted. I interviewed, according to the rule, like I was a person off the street, no big deal. Well I obiviously didn't get the position, b/c I'm still an assistant in the same classroom.

In October we will once again be changing bits of the company. Right now we have six classes: infants, toddlers, twos, preschool 1, preschool2, and prek. Preschool 1 is kinda the middle class now with older two year olds and young three olds kinda stuck in the middle. Come October there is going to be six classes as well but more defined: infants 0 to 1, toddlers 1-2, twos 2-3, threes 3-4, and fours 4-5 and a new class which is going to be a "mommies day out like program". This class will consist of 18 month to 36 month olds that come two times a week. One group on M and W and the second group T and R. There will only be eight children in each group (a total of 16 kids for the class). THIS IS THE CLASS I WANT TO BE IN!!!

So we had a meeting on Tuesday night and then we got a sheet of paper to write down our preferences of what room we want and what position we want. I WANT that room. I put the Lead teacher as my first choice and the Assistant teacher as my third choice (being a Lead teacher of the twos class, which is what I'm currently the assistant in, was my second choice; I can only "have" this room if my current Lead teacher moves to the room she desires).

Well I found out today that I have an interview with the SAME WOMAN who interviewed me for the other position I wanted a few months back and rejected me. My first thought is "why is she doing the interview and not the director?" I asked the director and she says b/c she and the assistant would be biased, so they have to use her b/c she is the director of our other sister program. Then I think "well I'm shit out of luck b/c she is biased too b/c she has already interviewed me and obviously we know what her opionon was/is since she rejected me!" I really feel like I should get a different person totally! Wouldn't you agree?

Not only are we being interviewed by a different person but there are three of us that want this position. I know one and can only guess the other based on her (there are two other assistant teachers in the building with stronger ABA experience than myself) past experiences. So I proceed to tell the director who it is in my opinion and why and she gets defensive (which leads me to think that its a damn good thing she isn't doing the interview b/c obviously she would cast her vote for Jean (that is the name I'm giving her)).

Well the upsetting statement has to do with something that has happened in the past. I had a friend/coworker that was an assistant in one class, was here for a few months, then became the lead in a different class, and was in that position for a couple of months. Well a few months later a lead position opened for the age group that she really wanted and she applied for it. They told her no for two reasons: one b/c she has only been the lead in her current class room for a little while and its too much change and two b/c she and I are too good a friends and they don't want us working together. Isn't that some crap?!? Well Jean hasn't been here a year yet and has changed positions twice. She started as a floater and became the assistant for that inbetween class, then she changed again and is the assistant for the toddler class. Now she wants to change and be a lead?!? She supposedly has lots of ABA experience, but she isn't very stable, obvioulsy, in her desires.

So when I said this, the Director says "how long ago was it your friend was here? 3 or 4 years right? Times have change, people have changed, rules have changed." Then just went about her business. This is the statement and attitude that has me believing she would choose Jean as her first choice. Not to mention I over heard her tell Jean to make sure she checks her email today with a really sweet hinty like smile.

I don't really have an opinion about the other girl that I know wants the job, I'll call her Candy. She seems nice, has been here about two weeks, and has expereince with ABA and older children. She confided in me that she wants to either be the lead or the assistant in that room or the assistant in the four year old room since her age group is really five and six year olds.

So here's my beef, I've been here the longest, haven't changed once out of desire, done so b/c the directors made the decision to do it. I want to be a lead, I deserve a lead, IT IS SO MY TURN!!! I've worked here the third longest of all the teachers and haven't moved up once! Not only do I really want the lead position but I want that room. Right now we have 8/10 kids with two teachers, which is a 1 to 4/5 ratio, but in October my current room will have 12 kids with a 1 to 6 ratio. This special new classroom is 8 kids to 2 teachers, a 1 to 4 ratio and two different groups with a total of 16 which means 8 kids on my caseload. I want this responsiblity, I desire it, I need it. I really think it's time for me to take on more. Also the lead will get to particpate in our sister program which I got rejected for a little bit back. This would give me the hands on experience I need in home visiting in baby steps. Not to mention the whole reason I love my job is b/c it's early intervention. This room is the only room that is guarenteed to have a 50 50 ratio of children with special needs learning beside children who are typically developing. The other classrooms are all going to be a toss up on having children with special needs in them. Right now they are a 50 50 ratio, but it will change come October b/c of the payment plan they are changing into. I went to school for this, it's my chosen path.

Now I'll say that even though I've marked the assistant in that classroom as my third choice I will not want it if Jean gets the lead position. I think it's unfair and she is too soft in her ABA style. Candy and I believe that every child has a different need and we should treat them the way they need. I think I might like working with her.

After posting this I do feel a little better. I just hope and pray (not really, I don't do that often, but can't think of another longing term) maybe will it, to go well on Monday. My interview is at 12:20. I'm guessing that Jean's is first and Candy's is third b/c of the way our children sleep. I really hope it goes well and I'm still contemplating asking for another person to be in on the interview who I believe will be less biased than the interviewer to be.

Really?

So the majority of today's post is me questioning they why of a few things!

First: the gas station by our house has their price listed as 0.00 for both leads. WHY? There were tons of cars at the pumps. Does this mean they are giving it away for free? or Are they out? If they are out what on earth are all the cars there for? Maybe they are waiting for the delivery and they can't leave until it gets there b/c they are out!

Second: What the hell has crawled up my coworkers ass today? Got here and she is in her foul, won't look at you, won't respond, pretending she is the only teacher in the room, only friendly to people she doesn't usually talk to attitude! She gets this way pretty often (at least once a month). For some reason it's not irking me as bad as it usually does. However I really know why....

I'M GOING TO MEMPHIS at 2:30 ish today to visit a dear old friend! This makes me happy for many reasons. I get to leave early which means I don't have to put up with her attitude for much longer now. I also get to hang out with an important person one last time before she and her family moves all the way to Ohio (which I will probably never ever get to visit there).

NOW I"m even happier. We had cheese bread sticks and green beans for lunch at school today and there was some left over. Not only was there left overs but it was the good lightly toasted gooey ones (instead of the dried crispy ones) and I get to have it for lunch instead of my healthy salad I had planned. Guess I'll try to eat that sucker while driving down the road to Memphis today. Keep your fingers crossed!

Great Holiday

So this weekend was great, just a bit too short (as I'm sure everyone agrees). Got to lay out Saturday morning with Isabelle, shopped at Costco (with some amazing samples that I didn't need but purchased anyway) and at Wal Mart for the necessities, then went to a friends and watched their two children for a few hours while they relaxed.

This sitting experience educated me some more on the pros and cons of being a parent just as a mentionable side note.

Then read and watched a new movie Sunday morning, lay in our aunt and uncles amazingly beautiful salt water pool for FIVE hours, and then went downtown for our firework show.

I'm also giving myself a pat on the back b/c even though I ate ridiculous amounts of Mexican dip and chips I was able to maintain my new weight that I don't want to ever go over again (unless I have an extra body).

Hope that everyone else enjoyed their weekend as well. Welcome back to the unfun work week.

WOO HOO

So it's the Friday before the 4th! Today has been pretty good. Nothing bad happened at school, home, or anywhere else for that matter.

We've had a nice lazy kinda day at school. We had water play today and all the kids were hyped up in their swimwear. We talked about all the colors and what we were getting ready to do. And some of our kids are supposed to leave by 3, which will only leave me with two kids (possibly 3)!

THAT'S IT!

Can't wait for 5 o'clock. Last night was my last night at the restaurant and I got to bring home my favoritest dish as a belated birthday gift: seafood pasta. Its a HUMONGOUS plate of fettuccine noodles with a white wine cheese Alfredo, shrimp, scallops, crab meat, and extra sauteed mushrooms (just for me). I like to refer to it as pasta heaven.

I also found out today that our work is having their next quarterly birthday celebration there on August 31st. I already know what I'm having unless they have a dinner special that trumps my current desire.

Well my plans for the weekend include shopping at one of my all time favorite places: Costco, sitting for a friend Saturday night, and soaking up sun in a salt water pool and gorging myself on food all day until the fireworks start.

I hope that everyone out there has a happy and safe weekend and see ya next week! (We are also closed on Monday, so we get to have a long weekend).

Unfriendliness

Today I start up a conversation with the four girls on the other side of the wall at work about the new Twilight movie. I asked if they were in the crazy group of fans who went and saw the three movie premiere on Tuesday/Wednesday? They were nice enough to respond and say no that they usually wait until after opening weekend.

I respond yeah, me too, I don't like going with a huge crowd either. I usually wait till at least the first or second weekend is over, but my roommate is going to see it with some friends on Saturday at the first showing at 10:35.

THEN, they just totally completed their conversation like I wasn't even there. They start making plans on when they are all going to see it together. And I feel like Harmony on Angel, what about me? I'd like to go see it too.

I only mention this b/c it's not the first time they've done it as a group. IMO it's really rude to talk about plans in front of someone who has just mentioned they wanna do the same thing. The last two times: once about a wine place I really wanted to visit and a place I wanted to go out to eat.

more complaints

So first I wanna complain that for some f'ing reason I can't get the previous posts to space correctly and everything is running together, which I don't even like reading. C'mon blog page work for me PLEASE!!!!

Well I'm mainly writing this post b/c I AM PISSED!!! As I've mentioned (maybe) previously that our monthly paperwork is due soon. I've been trying to work on it the past few days and pretty darn close to finishing it up. There are just a few minor adjustments I need to make. Did I mention that on Monday I was interrupted by a parent and coworker to talk about stuff, interrupted on Tuesday for the damn fire drill, and interrupted on Wednesday to help clean?

Well this morning the assistant boss calls down and my coworker talks to her, I don't know everything that was said, but I know the results. Coworker told me "assistant boss says your done with your monthly paperwork and she wants me to get out the rest of the day to do my assessment and lesson plans"

ME: "oh, well I don't know why she told you that, I'm not done"

HER: "well she said you were and I'm going to do mine"

ME: "okay, well if you don't mind I only need an hour, from 3 to 4, to finish up"

HER: "you'll have to talk to assistant boss"

Later, while I'm on the playground, by myself (not a huge deal we only had four kids today), I call and ask for a potty break and proceed to tell assistant boss I'm not done.

AB: "you told me Monday you were"

ME: "no, I didn't, just close"

Then the AB goes into this whole conversation about god knows what b/c I'm trying to pay attention and help my kids climb a ladder. I JUST NEED TO POTTY and wanted to let her know that I wasn't done.

WELL, later she comes into the class to give me a potty break and proceeds to talk to me again about paper work time and how I should and can do it during nap time. At some point there's reference to the fact that I've gotten out every afternoon to work on them and I should be finished. Then I have to mention about all the wonderful interruptions that have happened and basically cut out 30 to 45 minutes of work time total which what I'm asking for today! What is the big freaking deal? I need it, we have it, just let me do it! THEN BLAH BLAH BLAH. It's hard to have a civilized conversation at this point b/c I'm irked about the situation, the children are basically unattended b/c I'm trying to defend myself, and the toddlers across the wall are screaming and crying and god knows what else.

later..... 11:00, coworker comes down and says this is the plan: you break baby room, we break, you do paper work from 1 to 2 and I'll get out the rest of the day. Ummm... there's a reason I wanted the 3 to 4 hour. I need to call a parent and she's in class till 3:30. Call and tell the AB this and she says email parent. WHY? It's not like I'll get a response back in such a short period of time.

So there was a lot said, and still I get shafted and screwed. The funniest part of the whole conversations, the AB says something about how if we are low enough and we have been all week the teachers can get out and do paperwork. And since we are low enough there's no reason the Lead Teacher (LT) can't get out all day and do a month's worth of lesson plans. It's funny because she gets out almost every day for at least two hours and does a lesson plan each time, will she really have a month's worth done? Doubt it, I'm sure there will be some other reason why she didn't get it done and needs to continue to get out.

I've told the AB that I'm tired of being in the classroom by myself all the time (told my husband the LT (aka coworker) might as well stay home since she doesn't do much around the room anyway) b/c she is always out doing paperwork. But supposedly it's my fault b/c I refuse to do a lesson plan. Even if I did help doing lesson plans I'm sure that I'd be told "do it during nap time" (that's what I always hear, and she NEVER does ANYTHING during nap time. I know b/c there's no paper out to work on!).

To top everything I go to the baby room to break early so I can get my designated time out and the LT there doesn't leave. She also comes back five minutes late. Then my LT comes back 12 minutes late! So by the time I'm done with my lunch break I've already lost 15 minutes of my one hour! FIGURES!!

a few of my thoughts

So I haven't posted in a couple of days, but that's okay, because really who cares?!?, if you do thanks let me know.

Anywho, there hasn't been anything that I've just had to talk about so now that I have a few minutes I'll share a few things of note in the past couple of days.

ummm..... let's see,

Monday one of the children on my caseload who has a "special need" walked 23 feet all by them self! The child would have gone farther, but there were two bikes in the way and we had to stop and check them out. This is the farthest the child has walked here at school.

Tuesday afternoon around 2:30 we had a fire drill at school. Usually it's not that big of a deal, but it was my turn to do paperwork. I was getting all my stuff out and I asked if I could stay in and work on it (it's due by the 5th of every month) and the assistant boss told me no and to go see if any of the other teachers needed help. The first two classes I asked didn't, the third, being the infant room with four children, didn't either. Big deal, right? Well it was because there were still two children in their cribs! One of them was asleep and the other woke up when the alarm went off. I started to get the waker out but the assistant teacher told me the boss said the babies that were sleeping could stay asleep. So I finished making sure that no one needed any help and went outside. Should also mention that the alarm was done ringing. Well I asked the boss since it was just a practice and now we were done if I could go back inside and finish. She also told me no. This is where I really got irked, how do they expect me to finish my junk if they keep me out when I'm not really needed? So I only lost about ten minutes, which didn't do much harm this month, but it could have.

Tuesday, a little bit before 9 p.m. I'm about to make my lunch for Wednesday, when I stop to ask my husband if he had any clue what he might want for dinner tomorrow. I only asked so that I could plan my lunch out (points and veggies and fruit).

His response: "we haven't had fish in a while, ooh wait, what about those steaks you bought, no you know what I haven't had in a while? A big dinner salad. That's what I think we should have. "

I kinda look at him and just grin. He wants to know why. I told him "I've had salads and planned on having one for lunch tomorrow, but I guess I can change that."

So we proceed to plan out what all we want/need for our salad and I have to find a back up lunch plan. Usually not a big deal, but I've gotten used to having light lunches (5 points max) and saving 8 or so for my dinner. Well I thought about making tuna salad, but just didn't really feel like it. Instead I opted for my old stand by a Lean Cuisine, which is either 5.5 or 6 points and some fruit. Which positively enough still leaves me with 3 points to play with through out the day. Yay me!! So I get to pack a delicious new Snack Away Oatmeal Cream Cookie for 1 point and still have something random (maybe some wine).

Today, being Wednesday has been pretty good too. This morning on the playground I was talking to one of my children about something, haven't a clue now, but was important to us. I told that child "stop, that's groady". The child laughed and started repeating the statement like a parrot around the playground. I wonder if child will go home and repeat it mom and dad?

For lunch today I got lucky! We had left over ravioli and I got to have some. In case you're wondering a cup is 4 points and a cup of the 99% fat free kind is 4 points too. I think this is strange, but I know why. The regular has twice as much fiber as the low fat kind. This is exciting because now I know there's something else out there for me to eat. I was talking to my friend who did WW for a while and lost her goal. It's shocking how I used to eat lots and lots and lots of portions of food, but now that I've been eating the "right" portion for the last year and a half, I usually get full off the smaller amount.

Well now I get an extra two points for the day! A whole glass of wine!

F me

So my coworker is on vacation on Thursday 15 and Friday 16 of July. Well I come in this morning and double check that the boss wants me to come in early and run her shift so the floater can run mine. Well her response is "no come in at your regular time and work your regular shift, I'll go to your class since there will only be four kids". (I asked b/c I'd like to go out of town and see my mom since I haven't seen her since March and I've seen my dad a dozen or so time since then.)

Well I was irked, every other classroom gets to do this and someone else comes in and closes while they work the early shift. So I go downstairs and vent and say "watch I bet they want me to come in early and stay till the end of my shift". Sure enough, I'll be damned, checked my email and I'm supposed to come in early. How FUBARed is that? If I didn't' love this job (which may not sound like it later on b/c I've got lots of complaints about the women I work with) I'd really have to bite one and do something else. But I do, I'm here for all these wonderful children and their families. Stupid lazy supervisor/upper management/totem pole politics.

On a positive note she said I could leave early if the numbers were okay. What I don't get is the floater is hired for the sole purpose of our two combined classes in the basement to be in ratio. There are three of us in the afternoon. One leaves at 4:30, one leaves at 5:00 (me), and one stays to the end 5:30. Well there are usually eight or so kids left when the 4:30 person leaves, so I have to stay until the last person is in ratio (one to five) which is usually around 5:15ish. So if the floater works till 5:30, why can't I leave at 4:00? I mean there will still be three teachers until 4:30 and then there will be two teachers with the correct amount of children, it's what we are doing right now!!!

Well I'm sure come in a few weeks I will have something else to say on this matter, I hope it's a positive statement!!

Tupperware!!

Went to the Tuppeware party on Saturday and had a blast. I was a bit worried b/c I was going to be the only person there I knew (other than the consultant and her mom) (also I was the only country whity there too). However I had a blast. Monae did an amazing job hosing her Grand Opening and we all had a blast.

I'm definetly hosting a party and even considering becoming a consultant myself. I'll have to wait and talk to Monae about it after I get my guest list done.

my theme

So while talking to my husband about my blog, I've realized what my theme is going to be. I've decided that this blog is going to be dedicated to my opinions on anything and everything I want to talk about. For the people who know me, know that I love to talk. My dad says that I haven't stopped since the first word came out as a toddler and probably won't stop until I have released my last breath. I know that there isn't a person out there who wants to hear everything I have to say about everything I come across. My husband and I joke that my brain is like a pinball machine and that I have lots of thoughts and new thoughts from those and so on and so forth. Since I haven't been able to find a person to listen to all me and my talkativeness, this is where it is going to come out. The topics will be random and make very little sense. Whatever I come across and feel the need to express myself about, I will do it here.

Thank you for "listening".

Props are due

This is a post all for my dad. He might not ever read it, but I feel like the whole world needs to know about his achievement.

He is a man who went back to technological college a couple of years back and has really enjoyed his time there. Every time we talk he always tells me something that he's learned or done that is exciting to him. I personally didn't love my college time and wonder why I couldn't have gotten his interest in it. I went to "better myself".

Any who, he has participated in a competition called Skills USA for two years now. This is his school's website dedicated to the competition: http://www.ttcmckenzie.edu/. He is in the fifth photo down, the three guys in red sitting at the table, he's the one on the left. This is the page online that shows him winning a gold medal for his accomplishment: http://www.skillsusa-register.org/reports/medalists.aspx (gotta select Substainable Solutions in the left column and click view medalists) His teacher and his name is the 7th and 8th one down.

I got a phone call from him last night and he was so excited to inform me that his team/school has won Gold Medals AGAIN!! Last year his area of expertise, sustainable/green technologies, was a trial and error group. They did such a great job that it is now an official form at Skills. Well he did it again, just proving how important the work he is doing at school is. Last year their project was a hydrogen generator this year its a hydra electric model.

The greatest news is that the gold medal winners get a trimester of school paid for. So now he has two extra trimesters to learn. He says this is his last year doing the Skills, but we'll see. I think he will do more since he loves it so much.

Way to go dad!!