Thursday, July 27, 2006

Bummed

I don't know if it's the move (one week from today), the impending start of school, or just be being a loser, but I've been really bummed for the last week or so. It's on and off, but last night it just hit me really hard. I think it's mostly that I'm super lonely and at the ripe age of 23 feel like I'm never going to find love. I know I'm still young, but I need a date. Some little glimmer of hope that I could eventually be loved. I know I've got friends who are awesome, but I'm to the point lately that I really need something else. I'm sick of being independent and strong...I want someone to share my life with. Of course this all depends on me not clamming up and being uber-shy whenever anyone who is eligible comes around. I always end up feeling like Ginny around Harry in the first few HP books. I'm just at a loss right now.

Thursday, July 20, 2006

PROCRASTINATION

Um yeah, I'm procrastinating big time! I dedicated today to packing up part of my apartment (I even know which exact parts...), and yet here I sit in the White House at 4:12pm, and I haven't packed a thing. Let me give some excuses:
1. I've been with LaRae and Katelyn so much in the days before this, and I've been getting up super early to go with LaRae to work out at 9am, and then I've been going to bed late, so this morning I actually slept in until noon, so I got a late start.
2. I went to drop off LaRae and Randy's van at their house after I woke up, and that took a small chunk out of my day.
3. I decided while I was out to go to the other end of Lewisville and pick up my laptop from the school, and I got stuck there for over an hour talking to my department head about some staff development stuff as well as the TI software she put on my computer.
4. Finally, I had my laptop in my car and couldn't pass up the free wireless at the White House, so I stopped here to put off packing...
Really I'm about to go back and pack books and decorations and take down everything on my walls. I learned in college that once you take the stuff off the walls, the place feels less homey and makes it easier to be motivated to pack. My dining room is about to be home base to all that is ready to go out the door.

Yesterday I did actually pack up a huge load of junk to take to CCA. Go figure the stuff I couldn't bear to get rid of a year ago is "junk" now. PS - I've got a microwave, barely used, with glass spinning thing inside, in like mint condition, I'm trying to get rid off...it takes up storage space. I'd sell it for $25. (or $30 if you feel generous!)

On the plus side of life, the payraise they were going to to give us is now larger, so I'll be getting a car (midsize SUV really) next summer. Yea! for that. After driving LaRae's van, I feel like I'm sitting on the road to drive my car.

Last night I got to go to the comic book store with Paul. Fun stuff. I told him after we left, "I put on lipstick for this, and all I got was married men and super nerds!" Yeah...I'm a dork. We also had a really good class last night at church that made me think more about what I believe. Sometimes I feel that in my search for what I believe, I have ended with no clue as to what I believe at all! Does that make sense? I'm at this place of unrest where I'm trying to figure out what I believe based on what's in the Bible and weed out what I believe because I was raised in a Conservative Chruch of Christ...not that their teachings were bad, but I feel quite a bit that I thought was a "salvation issue" when I was being raised isn't actually one at all. Part of me is trying to really open my eyes to the truth while another part just wants to withdraw into the safety of my parents' faith and beliefs. Sigh.

I better go pack now. I have nothing of real value to say on here. Hope ya'll are staying cool.

Thursday, July 13, 2006

Ten Minutes

No, silly, that's not how long it will take you to read this post! I'm boiling eggs to go in LaRae and I's tuna salad (for the museum tomorrow), and they'll be done in 10 minutes, hence that's how long I have to write a fabulously boring blog update.

So I've been back in town like 2 full days, and I'm sitting here trying to figure out where the time has gone. You see as the first day of staff development approaches, I need to be able to account for each precious second that I have left in my summer of freedom!

Yesterday I got up early and ran a couple of errands (one happened to be a small classroom necessities shopping spree at Staples), and then I headed to work for a few hours at the school. We're making a notebook of our curriculum for all the math teachers since we don't use a book. Because I'm super organized and have all the material we used this year (with keys for all of it) in notebooks (for Algebra I and Algebra AB), we had my notebooks copied by an office aide, and then yesterday I worked to combine all of the material. I had separate notebooks for the separate classes but all organized by unit, but we wanted all of the materials by unit to take out the repeat sheets (not as many repeats as I thought there would be though). I ran a bit more of a shopping spree after work, and then I enjoyed an afternoon of play with Katelyn, and I went downtown with LaRae to buy Ringling Bros circus tickets at the AA Center. Katelyn got a free ticket for "reading" 5 books, and I, being the insane(ly fun) aunt that I am, decided an aunt trip to the circus that truly lives up to it's motto of being the "happiest place on earth" would be the best idea in the world! Really I think it's going to be a lot of fun. We're going on July 29th for the 11:30 am show. Thankfully LaRae and Randy are driving us because we all know that if I drove you may never see Katelyn and I again. Anyways, I loved getting to go to church and catch up with my friends (all of whom I missed a ton!), and I was more than happy to have someone to make a comic book store run with. (Thanks Paul and Jennifer!) I just wish I had had more comic books to buy!

Today I got to spend the day with Katelyn, LaRae, and K's little friend, Charlotte. Such sweet little girls! We had a blast, and after dinner, LaRae and I got pedi's. I needed the time to relax and literally put up my feet. I'm about to go home to a bubble bath and a good book: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (for the second time this summer...I missed a lot!)

Tomorrow I'm going to the science museum in Fort Worth with LaRae and Katelyn's play group. That should be fun. Tomorrow night I really want to start packing some. I need to get a few boxes done, but the more I've thought about it, I've realized I'm going to be really bored during the days that LaRae and family are out of town after Wednesday, so I'll have plenty of time to pack then. Besides I need to enjoy the little bit of summer I have left with them. I now know where the Lewisville Public Library is, so I'm going to get a library card next week and start using it. I can't wait! I don't know what's taken me so long...Perhaps the crazy 10-12 hour days I put in at the school last fall or the lack of time I had in the spring to do anything but plan the Math TAKS class or maybe it was the multitude of books I had available to borrow from the Library of LaRae. Hmmmm.... :-)

I better go. We just sent Randy to the store for tuna, carrot chips, and creamy Italian dressing and then I ran out to stop him to ask him to get chocolate teddy grahams as well. He laughed and asked if I was sure one of us wasn't pregnant bc that was a very random list of stuff. LOL. Yeah...pretty sure there. If only it was possible for me to be pregnant. Sigh. God has given me a great job and a great life here in Dallas with a loving family (church and by blood) and the sweetest niece an aunt could want. He's given me a nice home and some good, loyal friends. I just hope that He will soon give me someone to share all of this with...

Good night!

Monday, July 10, 2006

Packed!

I finished packing just now. Whew! What a job! Mom and Dad had a suitcase of LaRae and Randy's here that I was able to pack full. It apparently is a case that gets sent back and forth with things like our junk from here and Christmas presents. Good thing to have. I got a TON of books in that suitcase. It weighed 56 lbs when we first weighed it, but we got it down to 48, so counting on some difference in the scales, I'm hoping it will work. If not I've got a set of books I can take out real quick and tuck under my arm that will bring down the weight. The other suitcase (the small one I came with) is around 40 lbs. I got two high school yearbooks in it. I wanted my freshman yearbook for my classroom since I teach freshmen, and then my next fave was my Senior year, so I got it in. They weight a lot, so I'll bring a few each time maybe. I never did get my Junior and Senior yearbooks in college...didn't even get my picture taken! Oh well. I've got yearbooks back to 3rd grade!

Tomorrow morning I'm getting up and putting my +/- 90 lbs of luggage in the car and going to work with Mom until we have to leave for the airport. I'm telling you, if I was on this season of Real World/Road Rules Challenge, I'd be in exile, and I'd be screwed! Too much luggage! Anyways, my bookcases in my new apartment will be much more full of books, and they will now include more classics. I'm thinking on putting my books in my bedroom this time though. Maybe one bookcase can go in the living room, but I don't have one that matches my furniture, so that may have to wait until I can afford one. At least once I move I'll be able to carry things like bookcases in myself! Yea! Can't wait!

I've got a long day tomorrow of traveling and such. Work and church on Wednesday, and I really want to pack a box or two as well. Thursday I've got to take care of setting up a walk through and painting in my new apartment, and I also want to pack more then. By the end of this week I want to go to the pool at least twice too!

Summer is ending, but I'm finally looking forward to going back to work. I get a charge about the idea of setting up my classroom for another year and getting my procedures and discipline methods better this time! I'm so glad I decided to stay at ----- another year, so I can settle in more and not be the newbie. There's something nice about going back to a job you really finally know.

LaRae and I have been watching Treasure Hunters for an internet survey company, and I've grown to really like it. Anyone else watch it? I'm ready for the Fogal's and their whiney daughter to go, but I must admit, the self-proclaimed "Geniuses" team is annoying to me too. Thank goodness the Wild Hanlons are gone though. They were painful to watch. Hell's Kitchen has been a fave of mine since it started last season. Food and drama! Fun! I haven't seen it tonight, but Sara and her backstabbing make me want to scream. Has anyone seen the previews for NBC's Heroes? I think I'm going to start watching that. It looks odd enough to be given a chance. Besides, Commander in Chief was cancelled (SOOOO SAD about that...seriously), so I need something to take it's spot. :-) There's my TV synopsis...not much really. What are ya'll watching to pass the summer slump in shows? I mean really, isn't TV broken up into Lost showing new episodes and then all the times in between?

Sunday, July 09, 2006

Stone Mountain

Does anyone else find that name sort of redundant or rather "duh-like"?

We just got back from Stone Mountain, and as always the laser show was bigger and better than even. I loved the feeling of Southern Pride that I felt coursing though my veins as I watched the end of the show. Sigh. Anyways, good times. I feel like I've been thouroughly indulged this trip with places to go and places to eat. Rather "wined and dined."

Tomorrow I'm going to try to pack as many books as the luggage weight limit will allow, and I'm going to relax during my last full day here. Now that I'm thinking about a possible 100 pounds of luggage, I'm thinking maybe I should leave those books in my car. Of course that means once I get home, I'll have to separate the books and clothing into separate suitcases again to bring the clothing upstairs, but why carry such a load if I'll just have to bring it back down again so soon?! (By the way, I'm hoping I can pack more books by filling in with clothing in 2 suitcases.) Thankfully most of my books are paperbacks. I just never really thought it out when I was moving to TX. I didn't realize how hard it would be to get my junk from GA to TX once I left it behind. Oh well...slow and steady, eh?

Well I'm about to head to bed. I couldn't hardly sleep last night, so I took a long nap this afternoon thus restarting what I like to call "Joanna's nasty little habit of totally ruining her sleep cycle until she dies." Yeah. Maybe I'll play Slingo for a while...it's only midnight!

Be back Tuesday! Yea! ... to pack ... and work ... can my summer last a bit longer than August please? Perhaps we could start back after Thanksgiving instead?

Saturday, July 08, 2006

Busy Day

I'm ready to come back to Texas. Mostly.

I got to see Kat today. That was really nice. She's 7 weeks pregnant. Yea for her! :-) I helped her decorate the church for her mom's surprise party and then went the the party. Her mom was surprised, and it was a fun little soiree. They catered with this really great BBQ place, and I got to enjoy GA pork BBQ instead of the usual TX Beef BBQ. Yum!

This evening I went to WalMart to get some pics printed off of Mom's camera card, and I ended up ticking people off. Honestly when I walked up both machines were free. Within minutes of starting, the other machine was in use and a line was formed! I had to edit a lot of the pictures (zoom in and brighten them), so it took me a while. Apparently people don't think anyone should get to use the machine longer than a second except them! Oh well. I ignored them, stood my ground, and finished my editing.

I'm off to play online with LaRae. Maybe I'll win for once...

Friday, July 07, 2006

Swimmin' with the Fishes

Oi! I'm so full right now! We just got back from dinner at my favorite restaurant in town: Rossa's. I love their house linguini...so yummy! Anyways, of course I ate too much, and now I'm sitting her miserable wishing I had stopped midway.

Mom, Pam, and I went to the aquarium today. It's nice to be friends with Pam even though she's Mom's best friend. We've always had a special relationship. The aquarium was neat. It was really crowded which was annoying and slightly nerve wracking, but it was still nice. Honestly the place I could have stayed all day was watching the sea otters and the sea lions. One sea otter was swimming on her back the whole time and sucking on her paw. The lady there who was doing a commentary on the sea otters over the loud speaker said that while the sea otter liked to keep her paw in her mouth, that was not normal behavior for a sea otter. It was just sort of funny! Two of the sea lions were playing up a storm in the water and kept pressing each other up against the glass and churning up the water. They were just really cute.

We saw the 4D movie thing there as well. It sprayed water on us, had bubbles blown over us, and we even felt like the jelly fish tentacles touched us as they were on the screen. 4D is a really fun experience...if you ever get the chance to go, do it. :-) The "tentacles" (aka strings passing over us) stopped at the end of the row, where Pam was sitting by me. She somehow got slightly tangled in them...by the time it was all over, we were laughing so hard we were crying. So fun...

We've got guests (Sue and Darrell: a couple that used to go to Woodstock but moved to Florida) tonight, so I better go. We saw them at the farm, but they came for a visit on their way to Williamsburg, Virginia. Tomorrow I'm helping Kit Kat decorate for her mom's party. It's going to be really nice to see her.

I get back on Tuesday afternoon/evening. I can't wait to see you all at church on Wednesday. :-) I miss "home." I have had a lot of fun here, but I'm ready to start packing and preparing for my move. The time right before a move makes me so anxious. I'll really be better when I can pack up most of my stuff and have it waiting to leave. Wednesday I have to work at the school for a bit on a master notebook for the math department, but Thursday I hope to clear off my shelves in my living room. Wish me luck. :-) Love you all!

Thursday, July 06, 2006

Today

Quick bullet points on my day in Georgia:
  • I went to help at the church and ended up playing pirate's bounty on the computer with LaRae after I helped with a bit of stuff.
  • I ended up getting sick while at the building, and as Mom and I were leaving, I bumped into the wall (I'm a klutz!), and it hit my cell that was clipped on my pocket and knocked half the jewels off. The only thing to do was take the last of them off, so now my phone looks naked!
  • I took a 2 hour nap on the couch when we got home after helping Mom clean for some guests we'll have over the weekend.
  • I played more Slingo/Pirate's with LaRae and chatted with her. She was awfully witty tonight...
  • Now I'm feeling mostly better, but my tummy keeps making odd noises, and I'm about to read and head to bed.

Eventful day, eh? :-) Tomorrow's the aquarium, and I think Sunday we're going to go to Stone Mountain for the laser show. The nice thing about visiting tourist spots that you've gone to year after year is that there's no real temptation for a souvenir! I might get kiddy lou a shirt though. Have a good weekend!

PS- Lo and Behold! I just got a call from Mambo, one of my best friends from college. It was really fun to catch up with her. She was surprised I answered. She is one of those friends who knows and accepts that I have to be in the right mood to talk on the phone sometimes. :-) Ha ha ha! She always leaves messages like. "hey hobbit girl! I know you're just sitting there staring at your phone and not answering, and you'll get this message right after I leave it, so get off your rear and out of your mood and call me back!" Ha! Good friendships surpass all missed chances seeing each other and all great distances between catch up phone calls.

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Still Here

Upon 2 recommendations to hear David's sermon from Sunday, I am going to download it tomorrow and listen to it. I want to hear what all the fuss is about!

Pam has agreed to go with Mom and I to the aquarium on Firday. They were already mostly sold out, but we were able to get a time slot of 4pm. They allow people into the doors of the aquarium in groups based on ticket admit time to keep down over crowding. We'll have about 3 hours to look over the aquarium and see the 4D theatre. I've been wanting to go to a 4D theatre, and this one is supossed to be really good, so we're going to check it out. We'll see. :-)

It was nice to get to see people at church tonight. Not too much excitement, and some people acted like it wasn't a big deal for me to be there, but I got plenty of hugs and hellos from those I do really care about. There's something nice about going back to the church where you grew up (if you have that luxury).

Today I slept in and finished the 5th Harry Potter book. I played Slingo online with LaRae for about an hour and a half while we talked on the phone. Living near each other has spoiled us! I made dinner for Mom and I (5 layer dip and chips...but more of a meal than just a dip), and after church I made my tasty potatoe soup for lunches for the rest of the week. I admit that Mom and I ate a bowl of it after it was finished!

Tomorrow I might go out to the church building to help with some stuff. Ellen (a woman a little older than LaRae) and her daughter might come get me around 10 to go there. If not I'll stay here and read. I'm reading the 6th Harry Potter book. (Not surprised, eh?) When I get back I need to find the Lewisville Library, so I can keep reading more than what LaRae's Lending Library has. I want to start reading the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters. I am bringing a bunch of my old books back home with me. I found Backstairs at the Whitehouse tonight. I LOVE that book! Paul, if you haven't read it, you've got to borrow it! (I'll make a trade: I'll really read Booster Gold if you'll read this book!) My 8th grade Georgia History teacher mentioned the book in class one time. He said it was his favorite and was a first hand account of life in the White House during the years of numerous presidents. It's nonfiction and told by a maid at the White House. Anyways, a year of so later, Dad brought home a box of books that his secretary was getting rid of, and lo and behold! There was that book! Mom thought I was insane for picking it out, but I've read it a couple of times and love it!

Well I'm off to bed to read a bit more. Being free in Texas and free in Georgia are about the same: both allow for plenty of sleep and reading. :-) PS-Paul, I've read all of those comic books I borrowed! They were all good! Thanks.

Monday, July 03, 2006

I was a good writer!

That was what I exclaimed after about 2 hours of cleaning up "junk" today. Mom got me up to clean out closets, and we came across all the folders of schoolwork that she kept for me. My job was to sit on the bed and weed it all out. (We're talking Preschool through Senior year all having huge overflowing folders each!) I ended up keeping report cards, awards, and a few work samples from each year. A few things stood out to me, and while some will be bragging, they lifted me up after the brutal memories of getting some C's in some college math classes :

  • I never noticed while I was in elementary school that I got so many awards for things from academics to musical achievements. Mom said she always felt bad on LaRae and I's awards days because we went to the stage for award after award while some kids never got up.
  • I finally realized why my teachers liked me so much. I really was the model student and made all A's.
  • I liked math when I was younger; I hated it when I was a little older; I loved it when I got the right teacher again; I always excelled in it!
  • I took the SATs in 7th grade and was mad that I didn't break 1000. I got 930. Ha! I was a punk.
  • Dang, I could write! Seriously, I read some stuff I wrote in 6th grade that surprised the heck out of me that I wrote it, and I'm not talking "for that age" I'm talking EVER! I used to love to write and was good at it, and now all I write is this blog!
  • I was busy in high school....like to the point of insanity.
  • Despite bad friends, I have no regrets in my school work.
  • Looking back at what I was doing as a freshman, kids today (don't I sound old saying that?) aren't being held to a high enough standard.

OK, that's just some. It was a fun jog down memory lane today. This afternoon I took Mom to see The Devil Wears Prada. I'm a literary purist, and while most of it followed the book, the ending veered off sharply. All in all it was still really good though. A warning to those going to see it: in our theatre they showed a preview for a movie about 9/11. It was tough to see just the preview. I'm not ashamed to tell you that I cried through it. I don't think I'll be able to see that movie. The fear and the sadness from that day and the following months are still too vivid in my mind. Will those of us who are old enough to have truly experienced that day ever heal completely from the deep wounds of the towers falling? Can you really say you are fully healed? Just curious. We also went to the library (for me to get the last two HP books for me to read here...have you ever tried to pack one? They're too heavy!) We made shrimp for dinner and just royally enjoyed our time together today.

Tomorrow Mom and Dad and I are going to see the parade in Woodstock, and we'll go to the fireworks in town tomorrow night. Dad wants to take me to Stone Mountain. He wants to do this mainly because when we were driving home from Aunt Gerry's last night I saw the mountain and said, "oh Stone Mountain..." in a longing voice. I love that place! I linked to the site for the mountain and a picture of the carving above. It's so rich in Southern Pride! I'm glad we lost the Civil War, but I love the South! Mom and I are going to try to get Pam to go the Georgia Aquarium on Friday afternoon. I miss Georgia a lot sometimes. I don't know what else we'll end up doing.

I talked to LaRae today on the phone and miss her a ton! Pretty soon after I get back they'll be headed to Georgia, so that will stink for me. I'll have to enjoy the window of time when we're both in Texas between Georgia trips. Maybe I'll take in some dollar movies between packing boxes while they're gone! I better go. I want to read before I head to bed, and we're getting up early tomorrow.

Sunday, July 02, 2006

Just An Old Sweet Song

Here I sit...in my old bedroom (that was LaRae and I's through so many switched rooms I can't count them all!), with some of my old junk around, where my old bedspread is even still on the bed. It's weird to be back home, but I like it this time. Yeah, "this time" as in "much more than I typically do."

We just got back from Florida. I am a bad traveler. I just don't like to ride. I got to the airport in good ole' ATL, and from there we drove the 5 hours to the farm. Along the way Dad stopped for me to get some fireworks to set off for Nana. Of course he knew good and well that I would maybe set off one, run away ducking, and be too afraid to light anymore, so he would be the one to set them all off, but he stopped anyways. I think he secretly likes to set them off. :-) Time at the farm was nice, but I was beginning to hit major withdrawl from the lack of internet. Thankfully I'm back now where my parents have DSL.

Not much else is going on. I enjoyed time with Nana, and I got to see some of my cousins and my Aunt Gerry. We've got some big plans for while I'm here. I'm going to a surprise bday for a friend's mom and the new Atlanta aquarium. There are a couple of restaurants special to here that we'll visit, but I'm looking forward to more real home cooking. Mom has tomorrow and Tuesday off, and we may go see a movie and clean the closets. (Yuck on the latter!) Tuesday afternoon I'm going to go rent some movies for while she's at work the rest of the week.

I'll keep ya'll posted. Let me know if I missed anything at church. I really missed worshiping with ya'll today.