Quotable

Conversation in my classroom after a series of 5/6 grade how-to speeches...

Me: That went well, just a bit chaotic

5th Grader: Isn't chaos part of your job description, Mrs. (Sorry)?

Me: Yes. Yes it is.

:)

I think I'll give up complaining about my job for Lent this year

This year for Lent I'm considering giving up complaining about my job. I'm not sure I'll be able to stick to it, but I figure it's probably worth a shot. Who knows? Without the complaining maybe I'll start to focus on all of the great things and start truly love it.

I'm up-in-the-air on whether I will be signing a contract for my 5th year there. I mean, I know I've said a thousand times this is my last year but it's just downright scary leaving job security in this economy. That and we just got these new literature/language arts books that we will start using next year that I love love l ove love love and I'm totally bummed thinking someone else will get to breeze in and use this series while I worked through blood, sweat, and tears creating my curriculum from scratch.

Basically put, I'm having trouble letting go.

I'm also having trouble with the idea of staying for various reasons, so I'm just kind of sitting around waiting for a bolt of lightning or some other kind of undeniable sign to tell me what I should do.

Mike is leaving soon. Too soon. For that year long deployment thing I've been telling you about. I figure there's no reason for me to make any decisions until after he leaves. So that's what I'll do. Maybe then I can get a better idea of how unbearable living alone with the doggies and working 40 minutes from home really is. Who knows, maybe my memory is worse than reality. I kind of doubt it, but I'll give it the benefit of the doubt.

In any case. I'm still here. As confused as ever. But I'm pretty okay with it for now. I'm not okay with the impending farewell of my hubby. I'll survive though. I always do.

Our Weekend

I was just a little Debbie Downer last post now wasn't I? The funny thing is that the Friday after I posted that was a totally awesome day. I didn't expect it at all, but because it was the last day of school before Valentine's Day a the students showered me with Valentines. It was oh so sweet.

The best part was that that evening Michael and I put the dogs in the kennel and headed off to LA for our weekend getaway. Destination: Universal Studios.

Our hotel was literally a 4 minute walk and a 2 minute shuttle ride to the park. We arrived Friday night, settled in, turned on a movie, put in an order for breakfast room service and dozed off in our luxurious king sized bed.

The next morning we woke up to our breakfast of eggs, hashbrowns, sausage, toast, and fruit (which we continued to order every single morning we were there - what can I say? we adored it). We got ready and headed out the door for a fun-filled day at Universal Studios.

While there we experienced an awesome 3D Terminator attraction where my hubby embarrassed me by yelling out a question to the lead actress, a wild Simpsons animated ride that felt 100% real (I'm glad it wasn't though b/c the roller coaster fell off the tracks multiple times and if it had been real we certainly would not have survived the ride), a Famous Animals show where we got to see some dogs, cats, monkeys, and birds from various movies perform some interesting tricks, a Backdraft attraction where we experienced the creation of the explosive fire scenes, an audience involved special effects attraction (which was one of my very favorites of the day), and an hour long back-lot studio tour where we got to see (amidst other things) sets from Jaws, War of the Worlds, and Psycho. We also got to see general sets used in various films.. for example... the country town used in The Color Purple, a wild west set, and a generic set that they use to depict various European cities. Because it was a holiday weekend and they weren't filming, we even got to drive down Wisteria Lane....

After a full day at the park we headed out of Universal Studios to their City Walk for some dinner and a movie. Saturday night's movie was my choice. I chose Valentine's Day. Mike describes it as an American version of Love Actually. I agree.

After the movie we stopped in at one of the restaurant bars for some drinks before heading home.

The next morning we woke up for our room service breakfast and promptly fell back to sleep. We were exhausted!

We didn't head back to Universal Studios until past noon, and even then we decided to skip the actual park and stick to the City Walk. We had lunch at a lovely Mexican restaurant and headed to the movie theater again for Mike's movie choice....Wolfman. It was pretty good. It kept my attention and at no point during the movie did I announce that I wanted to leave. In my book that makes it pretty good.

After the movie we explored the City Walk a bit. Mike bought a new watch. I bought a magnet.

We had Valentine's Day dinner reservations at the Jon Lovitz Comedy Club. We paid a little bit extra for a package that included a booth, dinner, dessert, and a bottle of champagne. There were 4 comics that night. The first was very funny. The middle two were OK. The last (and the headliner) was hilarious. He had me laughing. Hysterically. The whole time. I would definitely pay to see Eric Schwartz again. All in all, definitely a memorable and fun Valentine's Day dinner.

After that, we headed back to our hotel's awesome lounge for some late evening drinks and retired for the evening.

We got up the next morning, enjoyed our last breakfast in bed (sigh), checked out of our hotel, and headed back to the Universal Studios City Walk so that Mike could fulfill his life-long dream and fly. Literally. fly.

He was so happy after he got to do this. He couldn't stop grinning. It was honestly the cutest thing ever.

Sadly, I am a gigantic whimp so did not join him in this adventure. At least this way, he has some great pictures documenting his experience.

Before leaving Los Angeles (which was BEAUTIFUL 70's and 80's weather all weekend, I must add) Michael insisted that we make a stop on Hollywood Blvd to visit Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum

and among other things....

Michael got to assist Quentin Tarantino on the set of Kill Bill...

Jim Carey and I got to catch up, and boy did he ever think I was great.

And as it turned out... American Idol was really short on guest judges, so we got to stand in.

We had a blast. What a fantastic way to spend our weekend.

Nothing to Wear... and... Words

I just got finished spending at least a half hour trying to figure out what I am going to wear tomorrow and wallowing in a bit of self-loathing.

Eventually I just gave up. I have the ability to work myself into such a frenzy over these things that my mind stops thinking rational thoughts and finding something to wear actually becomes impossible.

So I did what any rational person in that situation would do. I wasted many minutes of my life on facebook. It is truly one of the greatest time-wasting inventions ever known to man, second only to video games.

And now here I sit. Writing a blog post. Because I have nothing to wear to work tomorrow. And I am going a little bit insane over it.

If I could wear jeans all of my problems would be solved and my world would be a happy place. I just bought a GrEaT pair of jeans and am desperate to wear them.

Alas. It is not to be.

In other news, for the first time in my career as a teacher I discovered a very unkind note about me in one of the desks in my classroom. Or, actually, some 6th grade boys handed it to me with very grave expressions on their faces, begged me not to tell anyone that they were the ones who gave it to me, and ran (literally) out of the room. It said" "Mrs. (Sorry) big fat I hate you"

Ouch.

What it means exactly, I'm not sure. Whether they were actually calling me fat is debatable... did they mean to finish that phrase as in, "big fat jerk"? It's hard to say. It doesn't really matter though. I get the gist of it. Simply stated, someone was very very angry with me and dislike(d)(s) me very much.

I'm ready for this week to be over. I mean, it wasn't all bad, but wouldn't you know I must be a pessimist. Because, this dumb note has gotten me all upset and feeling like a worthless teacher. Nevermind the 6th grader who has stayed after class every day to seek advice about the boy she likes who used to like her and asked her out but she said no and now he hates her but she likes him..... Nevermind my excitement over my awesome language arts lesson based on the Black Eyed Peas song "Where is the Love" that had the kids all motivated and interested and yes! Success! Nevermind all the good. All I can see right now is that stupid note and what could possibly have led someone to write it.

At the risk of sounding repetitive... all I can think of right now is a quote I have mentioned in my blog before and that I have across the wall in the front of my classroom, "Words can hurt or heal. What did yours do today?"

Our "romantic" Weekend

For the past few weeks I have been researching trips for this upcoming long weekend.

It is the beginning of Mike's pre-deployment leave, I have a 3-day weekend, so I figured what better time to go on a trip to explore an area of Southern California we haven't visited yet?

The task of finding somewhere to go, though, was much more daunting than I had anticipated. Where to go? Catalina Island? Palm Springs? Laguna Beach? Malibu? Santa Monica?

I wasted many hours online in search of the perfect Southern California weekend get-away and came away with nothing. zip. nada.

Last night while enjoying a lovely dinner with a good friend, I told her about my failed attempt at planning a trip. She barely covered her dismay as she asked the question, "You mean to tell me that you aren't going anywhere simply because you couldn't make up your mind about where to go?"

Gulp.
Yep. That's right.

Today I woke up on a mission. I would plan a trip for the coming weekend if it was the only thing I accomplished.

Finally, with the help of my incredibly awesome credit card and its rewards, I booked a trip. Free of charge I might add.

Where are we going, you ask?
We are going to that well-known luxurious and romantic resort area in Los Angeles called Universal Studios.

What's that you say? Universal Studios doesn't sound like your idea of a romantic weekend get-away? It wouldn't have been your choice for the last weekend away you will get to spend with your husband before he leaves for a year-long deployment to Afghanistan?

I understand. It certainly isn't the luxury hotel on Malibu Beach that I had been romanticizing about in my head. It is no Ritz-Carlton in Laguna Beach. It's not the fancy nightlife of Palm Springs. And it damn sure isn't the remote and intimate vacation spot that Catalina is known to be.

It is, however, our idea of a good time.

Now I know why I was having so much trouble making a decision before. I was looking into trips that were sure to be romantic and incredible, but they just weren't us.

I can't wait for this week to fly be so that we can enjoy a fun-filled weekend visiting Universal Studios.

Snow Days

It appears as though I am missing out on quite a snowstorm over there on the East Coast. I miss snow days.

I miss waking up in the morning to find everything covered in the pristine whiteness of a fresh snow. I miss putting on my warmest socks and pajamas and making cinnamon rolls for breakfast.

I always LOVED to take an evening walk by myself while the snow was falling. Peaceful.

Playing in the snow was okay, too. Hot chocolate was better. Jumping off my family's 2nd story deck into giant snow piles was the best.

Shoveling was the worst, though. Talk about a back killer! But snuggling up in a warm afghan (handmade by my grandmother, no less) and watching a movie with the fam? That was priceless.

I miss snow days. Yes I do.

My Resolution

I know it's a little bit late to have finally come up with a resolution for 2010, but better late than never has always been a favorite motto of mine.

My resolution is to begin to use Lie and Lay correctly when I speak and write.

This is a big change for me; because, I am a firm believer that language is a living/breathing entity and therefore is in a constant state of motion and change. The language must change in order to continue to exist, and it changes according to the way that it is used. Therefore, old-fashioned grammar nazis are one of my biggest pet-peeves.

I used to stand firm on my position that it's OK to use Lie and Lay incorrectly; because, seriously, who doesn't misuse those words? I can name 3 people off the top of my head who use them correctly and they all fall into my definition of old-fashioned grammar nazi. Everyone else I know is perfectly content to boldly mention how they would like to LAY down and take a nap or that they LAID down on the couch for a cat-nap that afternoon.

I don't know when or why my position on the use of these words changed; all I know is that they did. Change.

And I have a new resolution.

I even brought my students into the action. We had a lesson on the correct use of
LIE, LAY, has/have/had LAIN
&
LAY, LAID, has/have/had LAID

with special help from my long-lost friend Grammar Girl.

I told my students the truth... that very few people use these words correctly, me being one of them. I told them that together we are going to change the world. Or at least the school. Or at least our own class.

I'm serious about it too.

So with that said...

Whew! I'm beat! I think I'll go lie down and take a quick rest before my next class begins.

This morning I lay in my bed listening to my alarm and trying to find motivation to get my lazy butt out of bed.

I have lain in bed many-a-night contemplating what the future holds for me.

.................................
Oh man. All this lying around is making me tired!