The Intimidation Factor

Thank you LeBron for ending the agony of wait. Stupid..........

Summer is coming to a screeching halt for the DC area. Students and teachers alike are preparing for the big comeback on August 2nd. Some people in other professions have strong opinions about teachers and our complaints about salaries and time off. My thoughts on these opinions (put nicely) are #1. Give it a try it and see how much recovery time you need. #2. Even though it seems like we work from 8-3 during school, trust me, that is NOT the case. Some days I will come home and grade papers until midnight. That's not including Homecoming week where I only get close to 7 hours of sleep in 5 days. (Why do I do this again? Oh yeah. That's right. B/c I pretty much love it.) Most people work hard regardless of their profession, but I feel like I have to defend mine sometimes due to the negative connotation surrounding the large amount of vacation time. Teachers will be returning a full week earlier for in-service. I had no clue what in-service actually was as a student. I've come to realize I really don't know now, as a teacher what it is. J/k. Sort of. Truth be told, I actually enjoy working with students way more than adults. (Sidenote: I LOVE my teaching family. Kids are just easier for me to deal with. Hence why I'm a teacher.) Because I have been a Peggy Procrastinator ALL summer I will be working round the clock next week getting my classroom and curriculum ready. I am usually really on top of things as far as my curriculum is concerned. I have been trying to figure out why that has NOT been the case with English 3. I have come to the conclusion that it is because I am SO intimidated by these standards and curriculum. I'm teaching Gatsby and persuasive writing for goodness sake! 11th grade is my dream job. I just didn't think I would have it year 3 of teaching. Fear of failure is a huge issue for me, and this class is highlighting that fact. Whine much? Apparently. Looking forward to the challenges to come though.

Just do it.

Dear LeBron James,

Just pick a damn team already! You're pretty and all, but I'm sick and tired of hearing about you. I really did like and appreciate your talent up until the past month. When I watch Sportscenter I naturally expect to see 3 seconds about World Cup action and then the other 59 minutes and 57 seconds is devoted to you and your every waking move and the tough decision of which team you're going to accept a bajillion dollars from, but seriously?! I don't care what you had for lunch or that you played a pick-up softball game last night. And national news coverage? I'm really more interested in the nationwide disaster of spreading oil in the Gulf instead of whether or not you're staying in Cleveland. Call me lame b/c I'm not a huge NBA fan, but I'm really kind of over it. No disrespect man, and I would be honored if you randomly for no good reason or good money came to Memphis. Way to go with that whole straight out of high school thing too.

Sincerely,

Ashlee Jennings

Picture found here

The business of people pleasing

4th of July weekend was a nice time with good people. I spent today working around the house. Mainly figuring out how to make my yard look a little less white trash. Mirrors, picture frames, and other wall decor items were hung with not that many holes this time. I did all of the hard work today with the help of the fam and some pretty sweet ladies.

Side note: I'm having another one of those good, good talks. Main topic: people pleasing. I have this BFF, E., who quite possibly could be a poster child for people pleasers. Once upon a time, I think I also could have fallen into this category. Not to get too deep b/c I don't consider my blog to be a forum for life lessons but here it goes: Over the past 6 months I have made a conscious effort to NOT be this way. Before this dramatic change I did anything to make sure people were happy with me (including make myself unhappy.) Friends, family, co-workers, pretty much anyone (excluding students) is included in what was my strong desire to make people happy. When I say "make people happy" I mean mostly emotional things. And nothing serious just small things that eventually add up. In most cases, this is completely okay, but this is also an excellent way to allow yourself to be taken advantage of. When it's close, best friends/people who sincerely care about you, it's totally okay to want to please them in normal, non-creepy ways. But then there are people who are not those things and it becomes just a cluster mess of a friendship/ relationship. No longer a fan of those. Not one bit. I now find myself in a place where I realize that those people who genuinely care, love, and appreciate me for the person I am. Those people don't need me to actually do anything to please them. They're friends or whatever with me because of who I am and that's just dandy. It's enough. Nothing expected and full understanding. I'm definitely a work in progress going on 25 years now, but you learn something new everyday I guess.

The good. The bad. The ugly.

It's been forever since I blogged, so here's a quick synopsis. I'll try to do better. Promise.

The good:

PURCHASING AN AMAZON KINDLE. vacation. being home from vacation. seeing my grandmother and my mom. the iPhone 4 even though I don't own one. new home decor from Hobby Lobby. having Mazatlan after having none for 2 weeks. making up for lost time with understanding, loving, true blue friends. Victoria's Secret AND Bath and Body Works Semi-Annual Sales. The Rescue Me AND the Entourage season premieres: genius.

The bad:

a dear friend's loss. recovering from cellulitis. Pugh's recovery from her emergency surgery. family reunions (I mean that in the nicest way possible.) not doing lesson plans while on vacation which was the plan. the 1st 2 episodes of the new True Blood season.

The ugly:

no more World Cup for Team USA. a sneaky, quick mouse in my living room. my bank account due to vacation and other irresponsible decisions (see Kindle.) painting 2 bathrooms. trying to hang pictures but really only leaving holes in the wall. the awful dish water blonde color the sun has turned my hair.

Competitiveness

Ok so clearly I am a sports fan. However, if I'm being completely honest, I am just a competitive person. I am "that girl" that just wants to win. That means win a soccer game OR beat my bro's time driving to FL. I just like to win, even when I'm the only one competing. Because of this trait of mine, I can watch pretty much any sporting event. I.E. I most definitely did not follow the entire NBA season, but when it was crunch time in the Finals, I was most certainly watching. I also watch Sportscenter every night pre-sleep for 2 reasons. 1) Just to stay informed about the sports world even when I don't have time to watch all the happenings as they're happening. 2) It's my secret dream job to be a Sportscenter anchor. In the past, I would actually pretend to complain to D about watching Sportscenter EVERY single night over and over when really I liked it just as much as he did. Speaking of sports, Boston lost last night. Boo. It was an awesome series though, so I won't complain. I will however complain about the fact that it's re-donkulous to compare Kobe Bryant to Michael Jordan. No sir. He hasn't even began to leave that sort of legacy. Stop the madness. I also have been watching The US Open because I am a Phil Mickelson fan. My main point to my unnecessary babbling brings me to World Cup action. The US did in fact tie Slovenia this morning. We played wretched the first half, but made up for it, for the most part, in the second half. It was probably a bad idea to watch this match with my nieces and nephew because slurs were flying from my mouth due to the absolutely ridiculous officiating that took place throughout the game. As my mother would say: " I have never in my life!" But really. It was awful. We do have a tendency to choke in World Cup play, but hopefully this year is our year to turn it around and we will pull out a win on Wednesday against Algeria.

Attending a US World Cup match is definitely on my list of things to do before I die. Being surrounded by that patriotism and sense of pride for your team and country would be stellar. I love american sports, but international sporting events just bring something new to the table entirely. All of this being said, male professional athletes are also serious eye candy (hence the picture above taken for a Vanity Fair shoot.)

Mostly Sports Thursday

I am still on vacation here at the lovely Rosemary Beach. However, the sports world is up and kicking at the moment. It would be a great time to be sitting at home bored cause there would be lots to keep me busy. Game 7 of the NBA Finals is tonight. I have always considered the Lakers a bit on the overrated side, and to say the least, my bro and I are in disagreement of this fact. I'm hoping that KG and the Celtics can pull it out. Following a night of basketball, our household will be rising early to watch the USA World Cup game. I have successfully transformed them all into soccer fans. Well, maybe not soccer fans, but World Cup fans at the very least. Yesterday I went downstairs to my room to watch the Spain/ Switzerland game because I didn't want the fam to have to watch it. There was an intense moment in the game, and I hear them upstairs yelling along with me. Just like that, they were hooked :) Jackson is even contemplating a career as a Team USA goalie. We will be dressed in our red, white, and blue and ready to go at 8:30 a.m. tomorrow. I must say though it would be nice to watch the game with my BFF Mr. Brashear.

Last night we also paid a visit to one of my favorite places, Seaside. Kids, teenagers, and adults all love this place. There is something for everyone. We had dinner at The Shrimp Shack, ice cream at Heavenly, and chillaxed with some live music from a band in Nashville on the grassy knoll.

I am absolutely NOT hoping to prepare for Toy Story 3 today by watching Toy Story 1 and 2 with the nieces and nephew. And of course, by absolutely not, I mean I absolutely am.

I am obviously enjoying being an aunt and sister all week, but I do miss being a best friend. I have felt a bit lost without my other halves, and I do miss them greatly.

My Oh My.

Alright, so let's just say that my vacay did NOT get off to a good start. First of all, I ran around crazy all last week trying to get junk settled to leave for 2 whole weeks. That's a hard task to do now that I'm responsible for a house. Not to mention, I needed to celebrate my birthday, my mom's birthday, and Father's Day (lame) before I left. My birthday was Friday, and of course, my friends (KP, Fal, and Tabs) provided the upmost of entertainment. What seemed like it was going to be just another night in Nashville quickly was not. Saturday I ran around crazy until my birthday/mom's birthday/Father's Day dinner at the Mom's. She made chocolate gravy. Don't. Even. Get. Me. Started. There was then another impromptu trip to Nashville, which turned out way better then I really wanted it to. Made it home around 5 a.m. and was at the niece's house (Jordo) at 8:30 a.m. to leave for Rosemary Beach. On the way out of DC: bluelights. Speeding ticket for 15 mph over ONLY because he caught me right where it switches from 55 to 45. Stupid. He also got frustrated with me for trying to hold his clipboard. Really? 7 hours later: Jordo and I roll up to The Lazy Parrot (the name of our house.) I will be spending 2 weeks here with the nieces ( Jordo, Amb, and Clarah) the nephew, Jackson and my bro and sister-in-law. We went to bed early, so we would be rested and ready to head to the beach Monday morning. Monday was also my Mom's birthday, so we got up and sang a speakerphone seven person rendition of the Birthday Song to her. After our little ditty, my mother then informs us that she has been in the ER all night with my grandmother. My Nurse BFF, Pugh, stayed in the ER with my family and is again proof that I have the absolute best friends in the entire flippin' world. I have been stressed to the tee and worried senseless because I haven't been at home with my Maw. Yesterday was a waiting game for whether or not I needed to leave. The best case scenario for what was wrong has been determined, so I do feel a tinsy winsy bit better. If anything goes wrong, I will obviously be hitting HWY 331 like it's nobody's business. Oh, you think I'm finished, but I'm not. Apparently I have this really cool re-occuring condition called Cellulitis that breaks out on my ear that is stress related. Guess what has decided to pay me a visit? Crappy, crappy, crappy. Thank goodness I have a pretty sweet doc back home who can just call me in a script for antibiotics and painkillers. It hurts real bad. On the bright side (I'm glad Cr made it safely through Bonaroo,) I am on a beautiful beach with a fantastic family. I talked to my grandmother this afternoon, and she sounded well, and she isn't in any pain. It can only go up from here.

Sidenote: I am super pumped about World Cup play. I am shocked that we tied England, and I can't wait to see what happens! Tim Howard is BA! USA! USA!

What can I say? I'm cheap.

Of course, now that I'm out of school I'm a bit of a blogging fool but anywho. I'm also a sucker for these deal websites as you already know. Restaurant.com is a gift certificate website that I sometimes use. Normally it has $25 gift certificates for select restaurants in the area for $10. Right now if you use coupon code SAVE whenever your check out you get 80% the certificates you're buying! I just bought $200 worth of gift certificates to restaurants we eat at in Seaside for $18! The website supports quite a few websites in Nashville, Franklin, and Brentwood. Even Char from Cookeville is on there. Happy deal shopping :)

She get it from her momma

Disclaimer: corny, sentimental blog to come. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Do you have those people in your life that every time you sit down and talk to them you just know it's going to be a darn good conversation? No matter what you're talking about, you just know it's good people and good conversation. I have quite a few of these people, but specifically today I was sitting poolside at Auntie K's chatting it up with 1 of them. KB and I got on the topic of our mothers. Basically, what we were discussing was that our mothers are phenomenal, and they have given us so much to be thankful for. The point of our convo was also the fact that anytime we start to complain about some mundane problem we have, we try to remember all of the trials our madres have lived through. Don't get me wrong. I know most girls think their moms are the best and yada yada, but seriously my mom really is. I would never divulge all of my mom's personal facts via internet, but take my word for it: the lady is 1 tough cookie. She is by far the most selfless person I know. She lives for her kids, her family, and doing for others. I can only hope to be half the woman she is. I also believe that she is who she is because of all of the tragic happenings of her life. I am much weaker than her because she has sheltered me from anything even close to all that she has overcome. She still leaves me little "I love you" notes all over my house for me. She cooks all my friends' favorite dishes for them at all hours of the night and day. Examples: fudge, (Ms. Hawaii, Pugh, Cr) chocolate gravy, (BFF-J, Pugh, KP) chocolate oatmeal cookies, (Pugh and Fal) and her sweet tea is basically famous. Even if it does put you in a diabetic coma. Along with my Auntie K, my mom has taught me what unconditional love is. Not just unconditional love for me (they have to love me) but for everyone regardless of their flaws. Let's just go ahead and say it: Betty Jo is the shit. And yes, she is honored to know that her potty mouth daughter describes her this way :) Okay, I'm done.

Steal some cover. Share some skin.

I have had a very blessed last couple of days. I was able to combine old friends, new friends, and the fam with some redneck fun in the boondocks. We embarked on the Bad Ass Wheel Weekend on the Duck River in small town U.S.A. Friday and Saturday. We floated for 5 HOURS! Yes I complained, yes I was whiney. 5 hours was a little much for me, but I had an absolute blasty blast. KP and Fal had a bit more fun that I did, but someone has to be the responsible one I guess ;) J/k. They were only one step ahead of me. Fal lost all of her possessions, and bathroom juice might be her enemy. KP's camera has permanent water damage. Bonfires, cornhole, and four-wheelers set off a pretty kick A weekend. KP, Fal, and I also pretty much met the ying to our yang: Ms. Niki Noodle. We were also introduced to the sweetest 7 year old Puerto Rican beat boxer and his parentals. Our hostesses worked so hard, and it was greatly appreciated and enjoyed. I will add pictures on later posts.

Another pretty sweet happening in the days of my life happened Wednesday morning. I got on one of my "teacher cheap" websites. Normally STAR magazine (absolute "smut" as Candy would call it, but I can't help but love and relish in it. Plus, it reminds me of the good ole days in room 114) runs $79 for 52 issues in a year. Instead I paid $7.99 for 52 issues in a year! Thank you www.tanga.com! Preciate it.

Also this evening, I have a shout out to the people of Dish Network: I dislike you so much. Your technical representatives make me want to punch myself in the face. Thank you for the wasted 45 minutes of my life.

A second shout out: "Imma tell you one time" Justin Bieber. You know what? I'm not even ashamed. No, I'm not creepy. I'm just sayin'. The kid is absolutely adorable, he has perfect hair, AND he sounds the exact same on the radio as he does live. Gotta respect that. PLUS, he's actually hysterically funny. Example: Watch this. So basically, yes, I have Beiber Fever. Dont' judge me.

Random Tuesday

I am hurting for being right here (pictured above) right now. Vacation officially begins June 13th in the Lazy Parrot at Rosemary Beach and will continue until June 26th. Absolutely CANNOT wait. Granted I will be working on lesson plans on our screened in back porch for countless hours as I listen to the waves of the beach, but I'm okay with that I guess.

However, until then I will be settling for the Duck River this weekend. A little bit of a downgrade, but I'm pretty pumped about The Bad Ass Wheel Weekend at my sister's. Fal and KP will be in attendance to share the fun. Updates/pictures of this to come.

Another recent random development: I love cereal. For basically any meal. No certain kind. Just cereal in general.

Memorable Movies and Memorial Day

This picture is completely random and has nothing to do with my blog. Ashton is just 1 of the cutest kids ever (AKA D's son) and he just highlights my fear that my kids will be hideously ugly because everyone around me has gorgeous children. i.e. Ashton pictured above :)

First things first: Sex and the City 2 did not let me down. It was pure happiness for me! Was it as amazing as the first? Absolutely not, but there was no way that was going to happen, and I didn't expect that. Of course I laughed, I cried. It was awesome!

Speaking of movies, the movie Avatar and I have been playing this little cat and mouse game. I have refused to watch it, and it constantly haunts me via allusions and reference. Last night I finally gave in. Holy crap that movie is phenomenal! I may like vampires, but I am not a sci-fi kind of girl, but this movie pretty much rocked my world.

This Memorial Day weekend has consisted of countless hours of family and friend time. I did a little shopping and bought new patio furniture for my back deck. My house is obviously still a work in progress. My list seems to be growing longer and longer. Necessities needed: kitchen table, 2 bathroom light fixtures, bookshelves, doorknobs (because these tacky gold ones are driving me nuts,) and a hall tree (I didn't even know that's what these were called.) I try not to even drive by Lowe's because it has some sort of control over me, and I am tired of them taking all my money. I can remember hating going to Lowe's. What happened? Regardless, I am in no hurry and perfectly content with the way the crib is right now.

This weekend was also a holiday weekend because it was Fal's birthday. Celebrations were definitely in order. A day by the pool and a night out at Big Bang and Paradise Park was just what the birthday doctor ordered. Family time was yesterday and will also be today at the mom's. I am feeling very patriotic, blessed and appreciative this Memorial Day. I am extremely happy to be celebrating those that make me feel this way.

Bittersweetness

It's been awhile so prepare for a doozy (oh yeah. it's a word. google it.) of a blog. Recent updates: #1. graduation was great. Emotional but great. Jordan got all of her hair cut off, so she looks more like me now. Just like old times. #2. last week of school=depressing b/c I get too attached. #3. got my tax return FINALLY. #4. Sex and the City 2 premiere is this week!

Further explanations follow:

I am now celebrating the end of the school year with my Literature counterpart Candy (calling her this is way more fun than her real name anyways.) Mexican food, episodes of The Big Bang Theory, along with each other and Jose's company is a pretty sweet closing of work for the next 2 months. We finished out the school year with students ALL day yesterday at Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana. Not a bad trip I must say. Holiday World is SO clean and economically pleasing. Stations with free drinks and free sunscreen AND lunch and dinner combined was only $10. The majority of us old folk were serious fans of the water park which is where we spent the majority of our time. I am sad to see these kids go on, and I have enjoyed them so much, but I am also happy for them to begin their high school journey.

Not only are they leaving but so am I. This time last year I was absolutely devastated to be leaving DCHS. I began my teaching career surrounded by teachers I had admired so much in high school. Not only are they great teachers, but they're even better colleagues and friends. Due to schedule changes and all the craziness that was the DC school system this year, I was placed at Dickson Middle School 8th grade Language Arts. I was determined to make the best of it. Little did I know it would introduce me to my "mammasita," a new best friend, and an amazing group of 8th grade kids. I have learned so much about myself as a person and a teacher. I know this year has made me better at being both. Basically lost my mind emotionally during lunch Monday when Candy gave me a notebook of letters (pictured above) that our kids wrote to me. Tear? Oh to say the least. She also made me a picture book from pictures throughout the year. Awesome.

3 years teaching=2 different schools and 3 different classes, so it's only natural that I will be heading back to the hill next year to teach 11th grade English. I'm a little nervous to say the least. I plan on spending the majority of my 2 week vacay at Rosemary Beach working on lesson plans and trying to be as prepared as possible. We'll see if that actually happens. Regardless of the stress involved, I feel like this is the best thing for me right now.

Absolutely obsessed with the new B.O.B and Hayley Williams (Paramore) song "Airplanes."

Random Wednesday

I have yet to completely grasp the fact that my oldest niece is graduating high school on Friday. Not flippin' possible. Jordan has been my mini-me since I was six. Now that she's gotten older, she doesn't look as much like me, but we definitely can't deny each other. Also, "mini-me" doesn't really apply anymore considering she's 5'11. She has been a volleyball and basketball star throughout high school, and I'm ridiculously proud to call her 1 of mine. Nevertheless, she is heading off to UT Martin in the fall, and I think I am taking it harder than her parents. I'm a sucker for tradition, so I'm excited for Jordo to make her walk down the hill. We will all be celebrating Friday pre-graduation ceremony as a family, the big family that we are of course. I'll be an emotional wreck pretty sure, but I'll manage.

Everyone around me is so tired of hearing me talk about Sex and the City 2 coming out, but I can hardly contain my excitement! The BFF and I watched movie numero uno last night, and it never disappoints no matter how many times I watch it. I laugh, I cry, it's a roller coaster of emotion, and I love it. I can't wait to see what's in store with #2. I will probably be one of "those people" that go to see it at midnight, and I'm not a bit ashamed. What can I say? A story of true, hardcore friendship and love gets me every time.

New obsession: an Amazon Kindle electronic reader. I did not buy the first model because it doesn't have a backlight. However, the newest model does have a backlight and is new and improved. Thousands and thousands of books, magazines, and newspapers downloading in 60 seconds right at my fingertips. It gives me chills. Me+my new Kindle+ the beach for 2 weeks= absolute perfection. The Kindle part=doubtful, but wishful thinking is a strong suit of mine. Why is it doubtful? See blog titled Miss. Independent.

Miss Independent

What an interesting thing independence is. I have had the very indifferent experience that is "independence" for the past 6 months now. I purchased my own house, which I love and am SO proud of. When I first moved into my house, D. was a jack of all trades and could pretty much take care of any task I deemed impossible. Examples: hanging new light fixtures, fixing a dishwasher, a storm door, and a water heater, etc. This was awesome and so appreciated, but it spoiled me a bit. As if I wasn't spoiled enough from living with my unbelievably amazing mother for the first 24 years of my life. To say that I was well taken care of is putting it lightly. My mother is the caretaker of all caretakers. I'm pretty sure that I don't have a domestic bone in my body contrary to my mother's continued support that it will all come in time. BUT that's another blog for another day. Anywho, I am now attempting to handle things around the homestead on my own. With the assistance of E., Fal, and KP of course. I singlehandedly assembled my tv stand, put it together, and equipped it with what was necessary for usage. That sounds like nothing to an ordinary, productive person, but to me, this was HUGE. The television came in the mail (b/c it was a WOOT DEAL www.woot.com- it's a 1 deal a day website. Awesome. Also, check out www.groupon.com/nashville/ if you're in the Nashville area. When you're a teacher, you depend on these things. Sorry told you I get off topic.) Long story short: We'll pretend like that's possible for me. The television had been sitting by the door, not in use for close to 2 weeks b/c I was afraid and NOT CONFIDENT at all about assembling, mounting and putting it to use. Was it a hard task? Not at all. Just intimidating to me because of my lack of craftsman skills. The point to my babbling is it's super stressful taking on normal homeowner tasks when you've never had to deal with these mundane problems. Hence: a bluebird decides to build a nest in your dryer tube. What do you do? Apparently get it out IMMEDIATELY. On the bright side (shout out to Cr) it feels awesome once you have solved these problems and accomplished these tasks on your own. Or at least without the assistance of a male. Not that male assistance isn't wanted/needed sometimes, but as a girl, it's nice to do "manly" things solo. I've never wanted to be "that girl" that depends on a male for everything. Everything being happiness, survival, etc. I definitely can't say that I've NEVER been "that girl," but one day at a time is how I see it. I also definitely CANNOT say that I don't depend on other people for happiness b/c that would make me a liar. I most certainly depend on my family and friends for happiness. Extremely reliant on them. Regardless, paying the bills, working hard, and depending solely on yourself financially is difficult but definitely worth that accomplished feeling at the end of the day when you look around and know that all of it is yours. Well, yours and the banks. Even though I have had to give up a lot of my addictions: online shopping, spending hundreds of dollars on iTunes, new sunglasses and watches and purses every pay check, I do love this "Independent Woman" phenomenon I'm living. I'm also finally comfortable that I did not obtain my Mrs. degree from college. Disclaimer: I am so happy for those of my friends who are married and progressing in their lives. I'm merely stating that just because I'm not, doesn't mean I'm behind :) The American Dream is what you make of it for yourself. It's 2010. The stigma has been removed. 24 does NOT have to = married and pregnant.

"It's something about the kinda woman that wants you but don't need you." Ne-Yo is such a smart man.

Sidenote: Napoleon Dynamite NEVER gets old.

On a balcony in summer air...

Attended the movies with close to 300 8th graders yesterday. Just in case anyone EVER thinks that's a good idea, DON'T. It was re-donkulous. Regardless of how stressful it was, it was a celebratory field trip. Explanation: 8th graders take a state TCAP Writing Assessment every year. This was one of the defining reasons why I was super stressed about being an 8th grade teacher. Dickson Middle has some of the best test scores in the state. Big shoes to fill? Absolutely. Long story short: for 2 straight months my kids and I worked our tails off to prepare for the Feb. test. To make a stressful situation 10 times worse, we were out for snow a full week before the test, and the test was rescheduled. Test taken. Fast forward 2 MONTHS, which was how long we had to wait for test scores. (Drum roll please........)

25 scores of 6 (the most EVER at DMS) 43 scores of 5, 49 scores of 4, and only 2 scores of 3. I'm never one to feel comfortable enough to toot my own horn, but seriously? Who would've thought? Definitely not me. So, toot toot. Whatev.

(Eventually I will get to the purpose of this babbling.)

Anywho, back to the movies. All students who made a 4,5,or 6 got to go to the movies. Hence, how I ended up there w/ the entire 8th grade. A teacher needed to be in every theatre for chaperoning purposes. Because of this, I ended up in "Letters to Juliet." Really? Lame. SPOILER ALERT-Regardless of the romantic comedy BS that made up this movie, there was a really nice historical basis that I, as an English teacher, especially appreciate. Really cool aspect of the movie: women flock to Verona, Italy to visit Juliet Capulet's (THE Juliet of "Romeo and Juliet") former estate so they can write letters to Juliet about love and lose. There are then a group of women dubbed Juliet's Secretaries that write all of these women a return letter from "Juliet." As if my need to go to Italy and the rest of Europe wasn't overpowering enough. I need some romantic European customs in my life to rid myself of my realist attitude.

"Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I never saw true beauty till this night." -Romeo and Juliet

My Top 10 Obsessions at the Moment

#10. Coke Zero

#9. Holiday World. Explanation: we're taking our kids May 25th, and I LOVE amusement parks, so I am technically more excited than they are.

#8. Fossil watches. They're my drug of choice along with sunglasses. I need an intervention.

#7. The outdoor fire pit my bro recently constructed. It's small and inexpensive, but it has accounted for some good chats and good times. Unfortunately, it is at his house not mine.

#6. The J. Crew bathing suit shown. Need it in my life.

#5. MUSIC in general, but especially the following right now: Old school John Mayer (i.e. "Back to you," "Man on the Side," "Love Soon," and "Love Song for No one")

Angel Taylor (if you don't know her, iTunes her)

Lady Antebellum (I'm pretty sure their new CD was written for/about me)

The new Usher CD (don't judge.)

#4. The 11th grade English standards, which I will be eating, sleeping, and breathing until next Fall. 3 years of teaching=3 different classes/grades. Why would next year be any different?

#3. Since I have been teaching I have not had a ton of time for t.v. That has changed lately. The following shows and their characters have become a serious part of my life:

True Blood- don't.even.get.me.started. That is a whole blog in itself

Parenthood- even though I feel like a middle-aged soccer mom for liking it, I can't help it. Good, quality entertainment.

American Idol-duh?

Mercy-gotta give props to KP for bringing this into my life. However, SUPER po'ed about the season finale last night.

#2. The Sookie Stackhouse novels, the books that True Blood is based on. OMG. They are such a guilty pleasure, but I'm a pushover anyways.

#1. So cliche, but I am a sucker for quality time w/ those who know and love me these days. Friends, fam, co-workers, etc. Instead of a lot of going out, friends and I have been spending quite a bit of down time together just chatting and sorting out our lives :) Good times. Love these people.

This blog is making me realize how unnecessarily wordy I am. My students must hate me.

The reason I teach...

Something a student of mine wrote:

What happens when I get mad.

Keep the anger flowing near like whiskey, liquor, and your beer. Take me down the beaten path. Try to destroy me with your wrath. Tie me up and shut me down. Through your doors my fists will pound. A psycho lonely and depressed. Till you're satisfied will not rest. Ever corresponding with evil's work. Around the corners your henchmen lirk. You can't defy the great I AM. Apologize as loudly as you can. Your time is coming, drawing near. Your "friends" conveniently disappear. Justice shall and has always prevailed. The land and even where I've sailed. Mighty thunder crashes in. He's now aware of all your sins. You hurt me once, can't do it again.

School appropriate? Not at all. This amazes me because I'm pretty sure I couldn't produce this at 24, and an 8th grader wrote this. I. LOVE. IT.

Rude Boy

So I was walking into a local department store today, and there was an older gentleman in front of me. As he opened the door to enter the store, I was digging in my purse for my cell phone while not paying a bit of attention. I assumed (incorrectly) that this gentleman would hold the door for me. However, I was wrong, and I basically ran head first into the door. Seriously?

To say that I am "old-fashion" is ridiculously far-fetched. On the other hand, I am a southern girl who appreciates the small things. I do not need car doors to be opened/closed, nor do I demand that meals always be paid for by males. However, I'm a huge fan of chivalry in the form of door opening. In other words, doors NOT slamming in my face.

I pride myself in passing this characteristic on to my 8th grade boys I teach. The only reason they do it is because I tell them that it impresses girls. Now that we're approaching the end of the year I LOVE seeing them be gentleman. Doing my small part to keep chivalry alive.

Day #3 of being out of school due to flood waters. Still CANNOT believe this has happened.

Confessions

I have been an interested follower of this concept "blogging" for quite sometime now. However, a few things have stopped me from participating. The main thing being my life is absolutely amazing but not exactly enthralling enough to "follow." I also see myself moving from rambling orally to rambling on the keyboard (examples of this can easily be found later in this post and all others.) Another main concern is I am not near as witty as my BFF counterparts. Regardless of these things though I am a HUGE fan of journals, diaries, etc. I have been making "Dear Diary..." entries since I could write. Hence the Hello Kitty "Book o' Truths" from when I was 5. Absolutely hilarious.

Anywho, the deciding factor came due to an unexpected day off from work. Now don't be fooled. There are PLENTY of things I could be doing at this very moment. Examples: cleaning, lesson plans, laundry, washing my disgusting car, grocery shopping, dishes, oh the list could go on and on and on. The way I see it, I now officially have 24 years of procrastinating. Why stop now? I like being good at things, and I am OH SO good at procrastinating. Since I have mastered this art, I figure why not keep track of this life of mine via blogging? Might be nice to look back on in years to come.

No one should feel at all obligated to be a follower of mine. I will ramble. I will get off topic and lose focus. I am an English teacher, yet I don't use complete sentences sometimes. All of this is not low self-esteem. It's just the facts. I predict a healthy relationship between me and blogging :)

Synopsis of life: new home owner. 8th grade language arts teacher. soccer coach. auntie. social butterfly in training.