Rosa...Queen of the House 

My Class...Crazy Kids! 

Habitat, Rainforest, Medieval Times, and Warewolves

Habitat for Humanity: Wanna visit Florida and help out with Habitat? Be here on February 4th and you can come help us build a house in Immokalee!

Rainforest: To add to my rainforest sound spa sounds, we are currently reading the Magic Tree House chapter book about the rainforest and I am discovering that some of my students are wickedly smart. Now all they want to learn about is the rainforest, and our curriculum is not allowing us time for anything fun like that. I hate you, government idiots.

Medieval Times: For the after-school program, the other teachers and I have taken matters into our own hands and we're teaching whatever we darn well please. So now we're learning about medieval times (which is so incredibly interesting! Why didn't I learn any of this stuff?), next is Chinese New Year, and after that we are going to do some stuff about the Olympics. As they say in New Zealand, "Sweet As!"

Warewolves: Two of my students are warewolves. When there is a full moon, they can't sit still, are constantly howling, look like they've been awake ALL night, and hurt other children.

The three day weekend is over, and so it is back to life.

John and I saw the movie Munich yesterday. Yes, my day off was spent watching how people become insane murderers who kill other murderers and terrorists. It all started with this guy, who was an all right kind of guy--he seemed pretty nice

SIDENOTE! (the bad thing about watching movies in movie theaters for me is that I can't get up to get online to check the filmographies...and it drove me nuts the entire time thinking of what I've seen this guy on before. Eric Bana. It turns out that, well, I don't think I recognized him from anywhere. I believe he just reminded me of my high school history teacher and a mixture of other actors, including Jude Law and Ewan McGregor and Cary Elwes, the guy who played Robin Hood in Robin Hood Men in Tights and Westley in The Princess Bride).

Anyway, this guy was hired to kill the people who killed the Israeli hostages in the 1972 Olympics, which were in Munich, of course. So he starts out just normal and then becomes this cold-blooded killer (he wasn't really cold-blooded, still a "nice" guy, just brainwashed or desensitized or something) and then his life is ruined by nightmares and such, sorta reminding me of Vietnam movies.

Well, the moral of the story was, I believe, the world sucks. And so do world leaders and even the CIA and all the people that will do anything to save their own butts or be declared a hero. And the other moral of the story was: stop killing people. Just stop. Really, just stop it.


In other news, Rosa is going to the vet on Friday because she has had some tummy troubles.

My tutor is 10 weeks pregnant.

People who don't "believe" in birth control are idiots.

My prescription went up 20 dollars and I have not figured out why.

I still haven't received my reimbursement from Progressive from my accident that occured in September. As if it was my fault. I should sue for all the emotional distress. :)

I made a kick-A dinner lastnight.

I've spent way too long on the computer.

Overwhelmed...

...with blessings and happiness! :) I love it.

How to Raise a Smart Child

Talk to them.

Read to them.

Ask them questions.

Give them hugs.

Tell them you love them.

Surround them with print (books, magazines).

Turn off the television.

Go places (on walks, to the park, to restaurants, to the movies, to the zoo, to family members' houses, wherever you can!)

Expose them to other cultures (even if it's the neighbors' and they are the same ethnicity or religion...)

Have them take responsibility for their own actions.

Talk to them.

Talk to them.

And most importantly, talk to them!

I am QUEEN of the AMAZON

Since John and I love to run up the balance on my Clout Rewards card, we get all kinds of free gifts. The coolest free gift we just received recently and actually by accident is our "Sound Spa" Alarm/Radio thingamabobber. I thought it was a big bunch of crap, but this thing has changed my life. I am actually sleeping rather soundly these days, waking up fully rested.

It's all due to the nice sounds of the rainforest that sift from this handy dandy clock radio's speakers. The only trouble I've had is the nightmare I had lastnight about a panther chasing me...

Other than that, I've been sleeping so well, and John likes that the time is lit up on our ceiling. I don't know why he likes it so much, but guys are so weird about their stupid gadgets.


Oh, and mom, I was up so early on a Saturday because I had to go to my friend's wedding shower, which I had to make cookies for, and I had to run to Border's to get her gift and some school books.

My cookies failed miserably. For some reason, they didn't puff up. Usually they puff so nicely. Oh well, I'm still queen.

Inappropriate Teacher...

Actual Conversation


Michael (age 7): I like to sit on my desk like this.

Mrs. Erdman: Ew! You don't wanna get your butt germs on your desk!



And he will never sit on his desk again.

Five Things in Our Kitchen You Really Oughta Buy

Hurry! Go get your debit card and buy these things right now because you just can not go on living without them! Click the links and shop away!

Over-the-Sink Colander Am I the only one who occasionally tips the little plastic strainers over in the sink, only to watch my beloved gemelli fall down the drain? Well, now I get to keep all my pasta...without burning myself.

Bread Dipping Set This has revolutionized the way John and I eat. Forget dirtying another dumb pan to make that 12 grams of fat a piece Texas Toast. This is much cooler and tastes even better. Get yourself a french loaf and some E.V.O.O. as well.


Mr. Coffee Programmable Coffee Maker It's like having a manservant. My cup of coffee is always ready at 6 am.


Barnie's Coffee Mmmmh. Yum. Too expensive to use every day, but a great treat for holidays (Thanksgiving, Halloween, Christmas, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Valentine's Day, Sweetest Day, Mother's and Father's Day, Child Abuse Prevention Month, Hanukkah, Boxing Day, Yom Kippur, Good Friday, Ash Wednesday, Easter...)and the stuff lasts for like 60 cups of coffee...you do the math :)

Kandinsky Calendar Every other calendar in the world is too...girly or manly or just kind of cheesy or stupid or fruity or animaly...while I have a cat calendar at school and I'm sure John would love a Dave Matthews calendar or something stupid like that, this is one we could both agree on. And it's a good conversation piece. And it makes us look educated and artsy and stuff. And Kandinsky is one of our favorites. So you may not like it. Because we like odd things.

Back to work!

It's back to school for me, and I'll be there all weekend. I'm excited for a new semester and already exhausted at the same time. Teaching has its ups and downs, but I am so grateful we get the vacations that we do. However, I am all for the year round school plan. HOWEVER, if school was year round I really would probably spend most of my breaks in the classroom...so maybe having summers off is good. I can also spend time during summers to get another job or work on a hobby.

Speaking of hobbies, does anyone have any suggestions of some hobbies I could pick up?

Not to be impish or anything...

...but did Hillary Duff get cheek implants? Dude, she looks weird. I LOVED her as Lizzie Maguire. She was so cute! And I saw part of that "Life Size" movie with Lindsay Lohan as a little kid... Anyway, what is happening to these girls?

Ewwww. Stop getting plastic surgery, anorexia and stuff. And, oh my gosh, Paris Hilton, how could you steal Michelle Tanner's boyfriend? How ruuude.

Ten Things in Our Bathroom You Gotta (at least) Try (mostly if you're female)

1. Bath and Body Works True Blue Spa "Pretty in Zinc" SPF 45 for face Hey, burned skin is gross. This SPF isn't greasy, looks good, doesn't make me break out, etc. The only thing is, if you want SPF to work, you have to keep re-applying, so I'm told.

2. Clinique Happy Heart perfume and roller application thingy. I love to put on this stuff, because you just roll it all over, and it gets this very small amount everywhere. It's perfect--and spray doesn't wastefully fall to the bathroom floor.

3. Aveeno Daily Moisturizer (unscented) This stuff is great because it really, really is unscented. So John and I can both use it. Plus, I got it for Christmas from a student, so it came with all these different sized bottles. So I keep one in my purse, the car...everywhere. And it doesn't ruin the smell of my perfume.

4. Bed Head Manipulator This stuff (it's a sort of pomade) is great if you don't fine hair or hair that easily looks greasy. It's perfect for hair emergencies. I don't use it very often, but when my hair isn't cooperating, a tiny bit of this fixes it.


5. Neutrogena Advanced Solutions Facial Peel How glad am I that exfoliating with avocado peel is just not the thing anymore? I've discovered that my face is actually very low maintenance and that perhaps I was overdoing it a bit. Store bought microdermabrasion stuff is kinda pricey for things you get at Target or the grocery store, but they are totally worth it...you only use a very little bit every week. It lasts like a year.

6. Bath and Body Works True Blue Spa foot care kits I personally feel that these products are overpriced, so I never buy them myself. I just ask for them in gift exchanges. They are certainly things you can probably live without, but are oh-so-nice to receive.

7. Multi-Vitamin of choice... When I take my vitamins (which is actually pretty rare) the most immediate and noticeable difference to me is my skin, hair, and nails. I'm sure the vitamins are doing great things on the inside, too, which is of course even more important.

8. Loreal Paris Lineur Intense I never thought I'd be able to apply liquid eyeliner. However, this stuff is so easy to apply. Gotta try this one.

9. Loreal Paris Infallible Make-Up This is the best foundation I've ever had. I don't know if stuff like Estee Lauder or something is better, but I think this might be the best thing you could possibly get at Walgreen's.

10. Oil of Olay Age Defying Daily Renewal Cream I personally think this ranks better than any other Walgreen's-level lotion. I have tiny sample of Estee Lauder stuff that is pretty good, but this is much more worth the price.

Rosa and the Half-Blood...Housewife?

It's 4 am. My time is all messed up because John works overnight and I don't work (because it's Christmas break for all of us teachers). So I sleep, sleep, sleep. And I cook. And I iron. And I do laundry. And I watch "I LOVE THE 90's!" so that I can become an expert of 90's Trivial Pursuit and one day, one day I will defeat the remarkably trivial mind of John. I came close tonight, but I always get stuck on the computer/technology questions.

When I do laundry, I start the washer and add laundry detergent. Then I add the clothes, bit by bit, because our laundry baskets actually hold clean, folded clothes from the last time I did laundry...so my arms are what carries dirty laundry to the washer. I have no idea why the clothes never end up in the dresser drawers. Anyway, this involves a lot of walking back and forth, so Rosa thinks it's cute to lay right in the middle of the kitchen, on her back so that her fuzzy belly fur is all over the place, and she attacks my feet as I walk past.

Since I am home more often since December 22nd (the last day of school), Rosa is in Cat Heaven. We are B.F.F.s. So, when John gets home and lies down (to sleep), Rosa attacks his feet. Because, when John isn't there, Rosa sleeps with me. But when John is here, she attacks him, lays on him, rubs her nose in his face, puts her butt or tail in his face, etc...

She's the perfect cat. Why? Because I'm her favorite person. That's the great thing about cats. ;-)

Happy New Year!

Well, it is 2006. Now I'll have the darndest time trying to get my students to write 1-8-06. I kept thinking it was 2006 like in April, so I don't think I will have too much trouble making the switch this year.

New Year's Eve is always kind of sucky for me. Seriously, I don't think I've ever gone to a party or anything that was actually fun on New Year's. I always go to parties that try to be fun, but they end up failing--miserably.

To "ring in the New Year" (how much do I hate cliches?), we went to John's brother's, Mark's, and Jen's (his girlfriend) for New Year's and it was okay. I mean, it was like a normal night with people we don't normally hang out with (except Mark and Jen). Jen, her sister and I watched 48 hours mystery. It was a lame episode. The guys played poker. John fell asleep at 11:50 and I had to wake him up at 11:58. We left their house at 12:15. We're real partiers.

So I probably fell asleep at 2 am and I slept non-stop until 3 pm. Our pastor said that as we get older, we won't be able to sleep past noon. So I've decided to sleep as much as I can before it's too late.

:)

Just before we left, John made me say goodbye!  

Oooh... 

Yay! 

Our baby, Rosa! 

Oops! Here's a classic photo of our personalities... John messing up and I laugh! 

I love John's face in this one...he's so cute :) 

It was tough being a bride when the flower girl was so beautiful! 

Siiiigh. Gift Registries! Yuck!

While it was really fun creating our gift registries, I am totally at a loss with Nicole's (girl I work with) registries. She registered at Target, WalMart and Sears. First of all, WalMart? Ugh. Well, aside from that, she registered for like five things at each place. And they are really, really dumb things. I'm not going to buy her some 5 dollar curtains from WalMart. That's stupid. So I was trying to think of other things that perhaps my team (the other first grade teachers and I, there are 6 of us) could do for her. I mean, if we each pitch in an average of 30 dollars, we would have practically 200 bucks. So we could get her something pretty nice. But should we really just stick to her registries, or should we be more creative?

Some of my favorite gifts were actually things not on our registry. So I was trying to think of some fun stuff we could get her, but I'm not like, her best friend, so I don't feel comfortable getting her massage oils and kama sutra books or anything like that (that's what I'm getting Susan when she gets married ::wink, wink::)!

We could just get her a large gift card (the third grade team gave me 200 dollars at my shower for Target!), but since she is a fellow first grade teacher and I do know her pretty well, I figure we should do something a little more personal than that.
Plus, she's marrying the PE teacher, so maybe we should really shell out some extra dough and creativity.

Maybe we could do like some sort of a theme basket, like I did for Lindsay. Since her fiance is Mexican, he really has a large family with get-togethers all the time, and he already has two kids. So, maybe something kid-friendly or something to get away from the kids?

I need help. Please comment.

On the THIRTEENTH day of Christmas...

...my true love gave to me a brand new SUV!

Well, brand new to us, anyway. John and I have started a FAMILY. You know, you can't "start a family" without an SUV. Well, we wanted a car, but we needed something big enough to hitch a trailer, carry things like ironing boards and tv's when we buy them, etc., and this was the most gas-efficient deal we could find. It's a Hyundai Santa Fe. And it is very cool. I'd like to say that it's cute, but then John would feel emasculated. The poor dear already has to drive my Cavalier sometimes. The Santa Fe is kind of this bright blue that, to the pessimist, is hideous. However, to the optimist, the bright blue is very unique. Since John and I are optimistic, we both agree that it is a unique color.

:)

It was a great year!

I don't remember a lot of it, but here goes (this survey found on Veronica's blog, copyright 2005)...

January

1. Did you have a New Year's resolution this year?: Yes, that I could start wearing socks to bed again.

2. Who kissed you at midnight?: No one. I think I was with my family.

3. Does it snow where you live?: Hahaha…no.

4. Do you like hot chocolate?: I do.

5. Have you ever been to Times Square to watch the ball drop?: No and I don’t ever want to be there at that time of year, either.

February

1. Who was your Valentine in 2005?: John

2. What did your Valentine get you?: Ummm…I don’t remember

3. When you were little, did you buy Valentines for your whole class?: Yes.

March

1. Are you Irish?: Half.

2. Do you wear green on St. Patty's Day? Of course. And wobbly shamrocks on my head.

3. What did you do for St. Patty's Day in 2005?: We made St. Patrick’s decorations at school (teacher).

April

1. Do you like the rain?: no, unless it’s really warm and I have a swimsuit on.

2. Did you play an April Fool's joke on anyone this year?: don't think so

3. Do you get tons of candy on Easter?: tons? I don’t think so. A little bit though.

May

1. What's your favorite kind of flower?: roses, daisies, sunflowers, gardenias, hibiscus

Where's #2?

3. Do you like the spring?: Yes.

4. Finish the phrase: April showers bring may flowers, what do May flowers bring? Pilgrims! (I stole that from Veronica)

5. What would you think of as a spring color?: yellow, white, green, blue, pink..

June

1. What year did you graduate from school?: Orrville High School: 2000
Muskingum College: 2004

2. Did you go on any vacations last June?: I don’t think I did.

July

1. What did you do on the 4th of July? Went to the Orrville fireworks with my sister, the Wineys, and Emily, high school friends.

2. What about on July 12th? I don’t know.

3. Do you go on any vacations during this month?: Ohio!

August

1. Did you do anything special to end off your summer?: Wedding plans

2. What was your favorite summer memory of '05?: Wedding plans?

3. Do you go swimming a lot in the summer?: No…I don’t really like swimming.

4. Do you go to the beach a lot? No. Not a whole lot.

September

1. Did you attend school/college in '05?: If first grade counts

2. Who is/was your favorite teacher?: Shirley Wallner, who I work with, Scott Bardall (history in 10th grade), Carol Brenneman (6th grade English), Jackie Conway (1st grade)

3. Do you like fall better than summer?: I love fall more than any other time of year

October

1. What was your favorite Halloween costume ever?: a princess

2. What's your favorite candy? Krackle bars, fruity tootsie rolls, bubble gum, Snickers

3. What did you dress up like this year?: a bride

November

1. Whose house do you usually go to for Thanksgiving?: Aunt Cathy’s

2. Do you like stuffing?: definitely, I love it

3. What are you thankful for?: I have an absolutely amazing husband, a beautiful cat, a wonderful home, a terrific, loyal and dependable family, a few great friends, enough money to get by, good food to eat, and of course, Jesus in my little heart

December

1. Do you celebrate Christmas?: Certainly, just like 94% of America

2. Have you ever been kissed under mistletoe?: Yes! Thanks to Aunt Cathy when I was little and her mistletoe

3. What do you want this year for Christmas?: Well, Christmas just ended, so I made out pretty well already. We got a big tv, an SUV, new watches, some clothes, gift cards, etc. We are spoiled rotten.

4. What's the best present you ever got for Christmas?: my vanity was nice, and my silky pink pajamas that made me feel like a princess, jewelry boxes that played music and had dancing ballerinas…oh, and my engagement ring!

5. Do you like cold weather?: Not at all. I can’t even stand the 60 degree weather we are having here in FL!

6. How would you rate your '05 from 1 - 10?: I would say 9, 10 if not for all the hurricane stuff, tsunamis, etc.

Hello!

Oh, excuse me. I was just saying hello to the bald eagle that is...sitting outside my window! Whoa!

Anyway, today is my first day of vacation. I've watched a bunch of tv shows, trying to keep myself from cleaning our ridiculously messy house. How do people keep their houses clean? I haven't figured this out yet.

Well, I've already cleaned anyway and now our kitchen is more of a mess than it was and I took a break to look at wedding pictures and that made me think of my mom's Christmas present, which made me think of the internet, which made me come on here, which made me check everyone's blogs, profiles, away messages, catch up on what's going on at target.com, etc. etc.

Oh, vacation. I love you.

"Season's Greetings!?"

What the *%^&$ is that?

Okay, so if you're Jewish, go ahead and say Happy Hanukkah. If you're celebrating Kwanzaa, say Happy Kwanzaa. But if you're not a believer in Christ and if you're not Jewish, come up with a better holiday greeting than "Season's Greetings." This is the time of year we celebrate Christmas, not the season.

But I guess some people like to celebrate Santa Claus and presents.

It just seems worse this year, and when I talk to my students, trying to prompt them..."What is Christmas REALLY about?" Not one kid said Jesus, God, or anything close. They said presents, Santa, snow, family, love...

Poor Rosa...

John and I lit all of our Christmas lights and candles tonight as we were eating our yummy chili dinner. It gave us a remarkable sense of peace. I felt like breaking out into song, "Leeet theeere be peace on earth...!" Before I could ruin the moment, I held back my beautiful singing voice--not to be arrogant or anything, but it is beautiful.

Ha...

Well anyway, Rosa was trying to find a spot where she could: a.) cuddle with one of us or b.) capture our attention by doing something ridiculously bad. So, she climbed up on the armrest of the couch and started clawing, not realizing that her enormous, feather-duster tail had landed right in the middle of our caramel-scented candle.

I didn't realize it was happening until the smell of caramels suddenly morphed into the smell of burning fur, and lo, there was the smoke to prove that yes, our dear cat's tail was burning off right before our eyes. John grabbed her tail with his hands to quench the smoke (there were no flames, thank goodness).

Rosa was fine, and only lost a bit of fur (completely unnoticeable). She was obsessed with the smell of it, though. The funny yet awful thing is that she couldn't find exactly where the smell was coming from, so she walked in circles trying to figure out the source of the singed scent...

But, as far as I know, she never did figure out that it was actually her tail that was smoking.

Poor Rosa!

Saving Jane

I am regretting that I don't live in Ohio right now, because people are telling me that Saving Jane has made it into the Top 40 and is on the RADIO...

Now some of you don't know Saving Jane, but I'm telling you, go to their website right now (www.savingjane.com) to buy their CD for just $10.00, and if you continue on to their actual website, you can listen to 4 whole songs on the CD.

I started listening to Saving Jane because Marti, the lead singer, is best friend and soon-to-be maid of honor of my cousin, Autumn (who is in a song on the CD, by the way). And, thanks to Autumn, I have come about the closest I'll ever come to knowing a real live singer on the radio...............

Okay, so I've never even met anyone from Saving Jane. Whatever.

I knew Saving Jane would be famous!!!!

Christmas Cookies

Erdman Family Tradition Number One:

Amanda makes cookies to join the cookie exchange (at school) because it would be cruel not to show others what REAL Christmas cookies are like.

And it's sort of competitive. For example, I know last year my cookies were the best ones, but this year, I may have some tough competitors. I like doing the cookie exchange because it's fun to bring 14 different kinds of cookies home, try a bit of each one...throw away the yucky ones, and eat all the good ones!

But you know, it's kind of torturous to be doing this. I mean, I'd rather just have 7 dozen of MY cookies to myself than all these other kinds. I am trying to figure out my motivation for this, so I am guessing it could only be because I want to show off. Or maybe I really do like to share this most wonderful recipe. I think it's a little of both.

You should see how beautiful our cat, Rosa is right now. I think she truly believes she is a human baby, because she always wants to lay and sit up just like a baby in my arms. I love kitties.

Rosa is Very Naughty

She's getting a lump of coal for Christmas. She's already broken two of our ornaments.

Our picture website isn't letting us order our pictures or Christmas cards. Has anyone else tried it?

Does anyone have any tips for keeping cats away from Christmas trees?

Christmas is a very busy time of the year. I am spending beaucoup dollars on my classroom. Kids, buy your teachers gift cards.

God Bless the U.S.A.

Why on earth did the DJ play that song at our wedding? Weird.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I was standing outside of Gate 36, waiting for the call to begin boarding my plane to Cleveland, which had already been delayed. It was 3:50 in the afternoon--30 minutes before take-off. Just at a glance, I saw the ticker screen above my head change. Flight 470 to Cleveland. Canceled. Crap.

Many middle-aged people stood in line, furious, while young college students, traveling alone for the holidays, stood nearly in tears. Young couples with children stood by with bewildered looks on their faces. One man, a big man in his forties or so, cussed and cursed every person working for the airline. Most people took the 2 am flight.

So I weighed my options and decided to fly into Pittsburgh instead. The airline easily changed my ticket and my bags in order to fly to Pittsburgh. Then, JR called and asked if I could possibly fly into Columbus. So changed my ticket and my bags again.

I was disturbed by that man's behavior, so when I sat down to read this week's Newsweek, pictures of the recent earthquake in Pakistan had a more significant effect. One picture shows hundreds of men sitting on the ground. The caption states, "These men trekked for days in the mountains to get to a helipad in the Naran Valley, only to learn that supplies of tents and blankets had run out several days before. Now they wait for new shipments."

While we Americans freak out about our flights and arriving to see our families on time for the holidays, there are men separated from their cold, starving, unsheltered families because of a natural disaster. So when my flight is canceled because of snow, I am reminded to appreciate that I am warm, that I am fed, and that I am with my family.

Now my luggage is lost, probably somewhere in Pittsburgh. I don't have my super cute new outfit to wear for Thanksgiving or my makeup or my special gel to make my hair curly...and just when I start to feel sorry for myself, I remember--this is 2005. Katrina, Rita, Wilma, earthquakes, terrorist attacks, war, soldiers without needed supplies and gear. And I don't have my hair gel. How selfish.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. I hope you have been blessed with warmth, food, family, and friends. And if you're in Florida...air conditioning!

Stuffing!

We made stuffing today at school! I'm actually on my lunch right now and it smells sooooo good. It's simmering in the crock pot right now. I can't wait to eat it. The kids loved making it...they've never had REAL stuffing before. They were great bread breakers and celery cutters.

We now have our wedding pictures! I will do my best to have them online soon.

Love ya all!

It's been so long since I have posted, I forgot my password! Shwew...married life has caught up to me and taken over everything! I am adapting to my new role...I think I'm adapting well, so far.

Work has been insane. I mean that literally. I have a couple of insane students. I'm voting to put a mental hospital on our school's campus. Now I have 18 kids in my little portable...which is a lot for a Florida classroom. Probably not for an Ohio classroom. The kids are killing me, honestly. This year has been dreadful.

I was teaching second grade in the after-school program and now I have switched to first. I can't believe the difference. First graders are such angels compared to those little second grade punks. I have nine students after school and four of them are from my regular classroom, which is really neat because they're pretty much kids I really enjoy.

I am traveling to Ohio for Thanksgiving! I am so excited to eat homemade stuffing and noodles and mashed potatoes!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am trying my best to prepare John for my leave of absence, as he will be working and sleeping non-stop and I'm afraid he'll forget to eat or something. The wifely duties just kick in, I tell ya. It's weird.

:)

Perfect Winter Recipe!

Here's a recipe for chicken and dumplings my mom really enjoyed while she was here, so I decided to post it for her and anyone else who may be interested.

Chicken and Dumplings
prep time: 10 min. Start to Finish: 30 min.

1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup frozen peas and carrots
1 cup cut-up cooked chicken (a can of chicken works great in this recipe because
you can't tell the difference)
1 can (10.75 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup Original Bisquick mix
1/3 cup milk


1. In 3-quart saucepan, heat 1 1/2 cups milk, the peas and carrots, chicken and soup to boiling, stirring occasionally.

2. In small bowl, stir Bisquick and 1/3 cup milk with fork until soft dough forms. Drop dough by 8 spoonfuls onto boiling chicken mixture. Reduce heat to medium.

3. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Cover and cook for 10 minutes longer.

Makes 4 servings. 14 g. fat per serving 340 calories

We're from the country!

So I live in the Everglades with a bunch of hillbillies, right? And so today I was on a walk after work and I got stared down by three unfenced goats, one with massive horns. I thought I was going to get chased down. But I didn't.

You say it's your birthday?!!! It's my birthday, too!

TODAY, I am making a three layer chocolate cake...with a new recipe from a new recipe book. John is making some delicious steak with another new recipe, using our new GRILL that was given to us as a wedding gift...and we are making baked potatoes in our new Crock Pot! Oh yes, we are feeling so spoiled!

For our honeymoon, we went to St. Pete Beach and stayed in one of America's Haunted Hotels, the Don CeSar resort. It's a big pink castle. It was very cool.

We ate alligator, too. AND we went to the Museum of Science and Industry of Tampa and guess what exhibit was there? You'll never guess.

BODIES. That's what it's called. You may have heard of it. Scientists have taken real, live human bodies and injected them with this chemical (silicone polymer?) to preserve them. So, they didn't have any skin, but you could see everything else. There were all these really amazing displays...the muscular system, circulatory, reproductive, digestive, nervous... I also got to see what a real ovarian cyst looks like, a cancerous lung, a thyroid with cancer, breast cancer, a heart attack, emphysema, etc. I was impressed, and highly recommend it--especially anyone interested in physiology--or any life science, really.

Cosmo

Have you seen the cover of Cosmo this month? Are you wondering the same thing I'm wondering? If you know the answer, please tell me, as my curiousity has gotten the best of me and I refuse to buy this magazine :)

Well, sorry.

READY and waiting...

for the wedding and hurricane Wilma!

Most of our preparations are DONE! Since I know many of you flip out when anything occurs south of the Mississippi, I just thought I'd let you know...

John and I are keeping a very close eye on Hurricane Wilma and taking tips from smart, cautious people we know in the area. We're not listening to the freaks that stay at home no matter what. Situations like this actually make me grateful for the situation in New Orleans, because it seems that people are being much, much more cautious about this than they were with Charlie, Ivan, Rita, etc., last year.

From Weather.com: After that (being in the extreme southern Gulf of Mexico), Wilma is expected to come under the influence of westerly winds aloft blowing across the Gulf. That should shift the hurricane toward the Florida Peninsula, probably the southern part of the peninsula, this weekend. Wilma is expected to be weakening by then, but weakening is a relative term and Wilma may still be a major hurricane (winds over 110 mph) when it makes landfall.

Well, it does look pretty bad, but already from experience we know there is no use in evacuating yet. Chances are if we evacuated to the central area of the state, Wilma would hit that area the hardest. You just can't tell yet.

We are stocked up on supplies, water, batteries, weather radio and such. Please pray for us, and, in case of emergency, we have designated my mom and JR as our contact persons.

It is very highly likely that our electricity will go out. It always does. We do have car chargers for our cell phones, so as long as Cingular does their job, we'll be able to contact you or receive calls. I'm giving my mother a list of phone numbers in case we become unreachable.

Now I have a loaner car...

...and it's a LEXUS!

Swamped

Hello! Earth to Amanda 10 months ago! What were you thinking scheduling your wedding for October?!!!!

October just so happens to be, like, the busiest month of school. First grade cards, first open house, first major testing, first adjustments being made to adapt to my new class and their needs...

And since I am so majorly into this union rep thing, I've really um...gotten myself in trouble in a few situations. To make a long story short (sorry for that really terrible cliche), I emailed my New Zealand "colleagues" about the jacked up way our school is doing "guided reading." Our school sometimes thinks it is SO GREAT. Well, the things they want us to do are just plain loco.

Anyway, I told my NZ friends this stuff, and they emailed me back...professional opinions, professional advice, on what our guided reading should look like. In case you didn't know, guided reading comes from NZ...they are reading gurus and have proven they do it best. So America adopted this idea and completely blew it all to Timbuctu.

ANYWAY, I copied and pasted their comments (which pretty much said that the way we are doing guided reading is completely wrong and insane and advised me on what it SHOULD be), and sent it to all the teachers in our school.

HA! Our principal is just not a happy camper, not to mention the reading specialist the berated me today.

Then I get into this car accident. A crazy, stupid car accident that was not my fault even though Florida is a "no-fault state." My car is significantly damaged and is in the shop for at least a week. In the meantime, I get to drive this awesome Mazda 6. I have never pictured myself in a Mazda, but I'm liking it.

Since the accident, I have had a case of the loonies. Forgetful...losing everything (Mom, make no comment).

So, John's cell phone is broken, my cell phone got left in my classroom for the weekend (it was that truck driver who hit me's fault...to make a long story short), and I'm slowly losing my mind.

Perhaps God just doesn't want me to be completely focused on the wedding. Then I might really go nuts.

I really haven't been thinking about the wedding much!

My First Coffee Work Day

HOLY MOLY! Coffee has changed my life!!!!!!!!

All this time, I had no idea what it could do for my energy level! My cheeriness level! It's a flippin' miracle, I tell ya!

NOT to mention that I REALLY need the extra boost, what with my recent major car accident and all...

Rosa is meowing in the kitchen.

We bought a new coffee maker.

I've decided to become a coffee drinker.

And not just mocha.

It's red and black. I like those colors.

Orrville High School.

Muskingum College colors.

Red and black.

Lovely and mysterious.

I have glasses now, too.

Brown, thick frames.

We're going to get a table someday.

I'll sit at our table with my glasses on,

A robe, sipping coffee that I've forced myself to enjoy,

Reading the articles in the Sunday paper

That are not being covered by Rosa and her feather duster tail.

I saw two huge black birds, like ravens yesterday.

Calling to each other in the parking garage.

Lovely and mysterious, almost haunting.

Now, October is truly here.

October is the best time of the year.

Countdown!

21 days left!

*Cough* *Cough* *Cough*

I knew that, after writing the last post, that I was bound to get sick soon. It always happens when I'm feeling overwhelmed. God reminds me to take it easy through some stupid illness every single time.

And not even vitamin C can beat God. Trust me, I know.

Anyway, I'm not too sick. Just coughing, painful coughing...which is not cool because I'm not sick enough to be babied, but I am just sick enough to feel eck, and I'm not sick enough to stay home, but I am just sick enough to have no excuse for not getting everything done that I need to get done.

SUPERteacher

I should definitely receive a reward.

I am definitely super teacher this year. Much more efficient, much more in contact with parents, much more on top of things.

Much more overwhelmed.

However, I did do all my lessons for next week AND lessons for all of October...I left work tonight at 7pm, but that's normal, and I achieved a lot more. My tutor is also back at work, which probably won't help that much, but we shall see...

Now I just have to work on very, very detailed substitute plans...

Time Flies...

If there is one thing in this world that can make me swear right now, it's when I think of how fast time is flying...our wedding is almost here. At least three times a day, I say to myself, "Oh...shoot." I just can't believe it. I just can't believe it. I just CAN'T believe it.

Ohhhhhhhhhh SHOOT!

It's one of those things where I think, surely I'll die by then or something. I mean, no way is it REALLY going to happen. No way. It's just a joke. A dream.

Remember Me!!!!?

My online diary is feeling bad about herself because no one is commenting. Hey, that bear entry was pretty funny, you must admit.

Anyway, whatever. Right now, life feels pretty good. John and I both just got huge-o-mungo paychecks due to overtime hours and the after school program. It doesn't mean that we're rich or anything, but it looks like we won't have to put our flowers and cake on credit cards, thank goodness.

I am also going to buy a hand mixer today. I am just sick and tired (hahaha!) of not having one. That and a cookie sheet. Do you know how many things need to be cooked on a cookie sheet? It's ridiculous. And guess what I am going to do? I am going to have a Remember Grandma Curie day. I'm going to make meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and peas (from a can, of course, just like she did). I think I'll buy some crackers and Cheez-Whiz, too.

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Beary Scary!

Okay, so John left for work the other night at about 9:15. As soon as he has pulled away, my phone rings. I know it's John because he's pretty much the only person who calls me (except Mom).

He says, "I just wanted to let you know not to open the door. I just saw a bear. It was getting into our trash..."

I reply, "What?!"

"It was just a little bear," he says.

"A BEAR?"

So I immediately called Kari, because I figure she'll enjoy this story more than anyone I know. Plus, she just moved to North Carolina and I know there's probably just as many freaky animals there as there are here. She answers the phone sounding like she just woke up from a three hour nap...

I tell her, "I just wanted to call and talk to someone because I'm kind of freaked out right now. There's a bear outside my door."

Well now she is definitely fully awake and laughing hysterically.

As I'm explaining the situation, I notice a cockroach on the door frame...or some kind of strange, large bug that looks like a cockroach (probably got in as John was opening the door). I try to kill it with a broom (that doesn't work very well, by the way) and finally start trying to smash it with the handle of the broom. As I'm doing this, I am still on the phone, shouting, "DIE! DIE! DIE!"

I have some major pest control issues.

Then, as if that wasn't enough, I notice that Rosa (cat) is still going crazy over the gigantic dragonfly (their bodies are about the diameter of a broom handle) that is stuck between our back patio doors.

Not to mention the three tree frogs climbing on the outside of the windows. We have three tree frog pets that sleep all day around the patio door, white as ghosts because they change color to match whatever they're sitting on. There's Earl and Frieda (they're married) and their retired uncle, Zeke.

Trick or Treating

I think that after the reception, we should go trick-or-treating. John and I will dress up as a bride and groom! Hahaha

Meal Plan

Mom, I already made a meal plan for the week of the wedding!

Sunday: Chicken Parmesan
Monday: Turkey Burgers and French Fries
Tuesday: Chicken and Dumplings
Wednesday: Tacos or Fajitas
Thursday: Buca di Beppo (place John took me the night he proposed...Italian place)
Friday: Rehearsal Dinner
Saturday: Reception

And Sunday morning, you're on your own!

What...?

I am totally unsure of what to write about...what interests you most?

Work?

Pre-Marriage?

Food?

Okay, let's talk about food. John made these oatmeal/banana/walnut pancakes tonight. They were deeeelish. And then we watched the movie, Crash. It was interesting...

Jonah, Noah, Adam and Eve...

As a student in public schools, I was sort of brought to the belief that the Bible was a fairy tale, maybe partly true, halfway true, mostly true...I didn't know, to be honest. So when information on things like carbon dating and all that geologic, biological mumbo jumbo came my way I believed every little bit of it. Besides, scientists are smart and professors with doctorates know their stuff. Unfortunately, they knew their stuff better than I knew mine.

But I'm learning, thanks to this class on Creationism, that so much of that science is stretched, inaccurate, swayed, or simply not true. Surprise! There is also a great deal of it that Creationists can explain and fit perfectly into the context of the Bible. Guess what? The Bible doesn't change, either. Neither does God. How many times have scientists changed the age of the earth? Or tried to explain the dinosaurs? Or tried to explain (inaccurately) the Grand Canyon?

I'm realizing that I will believe Noah filled up an ark with animals before I believe I evolved from a completely different species.

We must realize that we can't create truth out of our opinions. There is only one truth...and it confirms history, it confirms and explains things like rock layers, plate tectonics, DNA, the human genome, speciation, people groups, etc. It has been around for thousands of years, and was written by the creator Himself for us to use, to provide us with all the answers we need.

Visit the website: www.answersingenesis.org

Back to the Kitchen

Wow! I actually had time to cook today! Well, actually, I just don't have enough money to pay for gas and go to the library and Hallmark, so I was stuck at home. I didn't want to clean, so I watched a documentary on Vince Lombardi and another on Brian Piccolo. I am trying to learn lots of things about sports so that I can beat John someday in Trivial Pursuit.

I made chicken parmesan. It was so good. I had to slice the chicken and smash it flat, too. It was the most involved meal I've done in a couple months. I only wish I'd had my Brancott Sauvignon Blanc to go with it.

We don't even have wine glasses, though. And who wants to drink wine from a fishy cup?

And we don't have a table either, and somehow sitting wine in a plastic fishy cup on our cardboard box coffee table isn't very pleasing. Sometimes that aesthetic stuff can really affect your tastes.

I Know I'll Regret It...

...but I have decided to teach in the after-school program three days per week. Sigh. What can I say? An extra $150 per week I just can't pass up right now.

This is what my weeks are looking like:

Sunday: Class on Creationism at church, 6:00

Monday: Work 7:00-3:00, After school program 2:30-4:30

Tuesday: Work, Union Rep Council once a month, Faculty Advisory Committee once a month

Wednesday: Work 7:00-3:00, After school program 2:30-4:30

Thursday: Work, "Marriage Savers" (that's like our pre-marital counseling), 7:00

Friday: Work 7:00-3:00, After school program 2:30-4:30

Saturday: Church 6:00-7:30, Teach the high schoolers 7:30-9:00


I know that's like, so neat to see my schedule and I know you're all really interested. :) I'm sorry if I bore you.

Oh! Our creation class is so cool. I'm having a lot of fun with all this stuff. We'll see how long I last...

My Ideal Registry

Since we're talking about gifts, I'll just make a list of what I REALLY want for my wedding (October 29th), my birthday (November 4th), and Christmas (December 25th).

1. A massage.

2. A visit to the chiropractor.

3. Massage supplies.

4. A cupcake carrying tray/container.

5. A $500 gift certificate to Border's or Barnes and Noble.

6. A pedicure.

7. A manicure.

8. A visit to the dermatologist.

9. A spray tan.

10. A new outfit that consists of those pointy high heeled shoes because they are just like, so in.

Yay for my new class and unconventional weddings!

New Class

I have a new class at church now...a group of ten high school junior girls. I REALLY like them a lot. I thought it would be tough to compete with my girls from last semester, but this group just may have them beat already. I also have a partner to teach with...Roxann...who is in her 40's. It's so neat to have her point of view...and she's really open, funny, and forward. Kind of like my mother!

Unconventional Weddings

Well, I got my not-a-pillow ring bearer pillow and my not-a-basket flower girl basket. So now my mom is really going to be bothered by TWO unconventionalities.

New Woe is I Book

I saw a new Woe is I book at Barnes and Noble...a book for "grammarphobes." I want it. I also want Denise Austin's Ball and Band exercise book, Betty Crocker's cookbook, and some Betty Crocker basics cookbook and a Buca di Beppo cookbook. So write those down and buy them for me, okay?

Humor Me

I'm in a writing mood. So just bear with me as I write two posts in one night.

I spent so much of my time in high school and college wanting more. More from friendships, more from relationships, more from friends, more from everyone.

I don't want to go back, I don't want to do it over again, but I do wish that I hadn't wished for more all the time.

Why didn't I appreciate the guy friends I had then for who they were, for the talents they possessed, for their humor, their talents, their gifts...instead of wondering what they meant in my life or the purposes they could serve in my life?

Why didn't I hug Lindsay longer that day we left, on our last day at Muskingum College?

Why didn't I take more pictures? Why didn't I video tape our memories?

Why didn't I just lay on Kari's bed a little longer each night so that I could remember that wax-burning smell of hers and Chrystal's room?

Why didn't I visit Chrystal's and Veronica's rooms more often, because just a couple years ago, all it cost was a few minutes.

Why didn't I have one last crazy dress-up session with Kendra before...

we graduated, and moved so very far away, and got married, and had kids...

We may all say we have no regrets. But I won't say that I don't miss you all and sometimes...

I wish I had even more memories. :)

Katrina, You're Breakin' My Heart

You're shakin' my confidence, baby.
Oh, Katrina...

I really hope nothing serious comes out of this tropical storm/hurricane that is coming towards Florida's east coast, seeing as I have been singing her praises all day. Collier County has canceled school for tomorrow due to her heavy rains and potential floods.

Now I normally would not be so excited about losing a day of school, as it really throws off lesson plans and such. However, I have not fully recuperated from my illness (I've been rather sickish since Friday and missed school on Tuesday), and really feel that three days off would allow me to return to 100% Pure Amanda.

I also have to purchase about 9 gazillion dollars worth of stamps for wedding invitations. I already have the invites addressed and labeled (yay for writing pretty!), now comes the part that isn't so fun...putting them together...but that's something John can help me with! He's really excited.

For those who are not attneding, I have considered sending a Hallmark e-card, but I thought that would be tacky :) Oh, I am only joking.

Next wedding items to buy (or make):

Flower Girl Basket
Ring Bearer "pillow" (ours isn't going to be a pillow...find out on 10-29-05!)

Mission Accomplished!

Whew! I did a lot today! John and I woke up at 7 and went to breakfast at Bob Evans. I had scrambled eggs and banana nut bread. It was so delicious. We got gas, we got my car washed, we got groceries, John mopped the floors, we dusted, I cleaned the windows, I scooped the litter box, and I finished addressing our outer envelopes and labeling our inner envelopes for our wedding invitations. We paid our bills and John left for Tampa to meet up with some friends from Mount Union. I did all of our laundry, folded it, AND put it away. I made dinner and watched a show about Jessica Simpson.

And it's only 4 o'clock!

Happy Friday!!!

It's Friday!

John and I had our first pre-marital counseling session lastnight with a couple that are about 29/30 years old. It was great. I was glad to have intelligent God-loving people to talk to without talking about teacher things. :)

My classroom is coming together and starting to look like a classroom, which makes me feel pretty good. The kids start on Monday. I am trying to get all those things done that took me a long time last year...like ripping out workbook pages and making homework sheets.

This year is going to be a little tough because the district has put our grade book system online and we HAVE to enter a grade for every subject at least once a week. This was a rule last year, but no one checked. This year, if we don't enter grades all the time, it's flagged and we get yelled at.

Yay.

Well, it's time to go to school. I'll maybe write more tomorrow. Saturday!----------

Oh Mon Dieu

My work hours so far this week (Monday through Wednesday): 34

Approximate number of hours left in order to get everything done: 41

Total Hours: 75

How much money I would make if I were paid $20 per hour this week: $1500

How much money I actually make in a week: $550

Money I spent on school supplies this year: $300

That means that I will work 75 hours this week and make a profit of $250.

Back in the Groove

Today was my first day back at school. It's just teachers now, no students. It is so great to be back at work. Maybe I'm more of a working woman than I thought. Life is much more fulfilling when I'm actually not in my pajamas. Who knew?

I am so excited about my classroom. I drew up a fancy diagram last year based on my "schema" (that's a teacher word I use with the kids...I'm sorry, but I have to get back into first grade teacher language!) of the new plan for my room. I didn't think it would work due to my terrible spatial ability, but IT WORKED! Kendra would be proud. I have an ample amount of space now for a poetry workstation AND more library space AND a LOT of room for my listening workstation! I know you guys don't care about all that, but it really is a big, big deal.

The other teachers must have thought I was nuts today, I was so excited to be back. I only slept four hours lastnight...I was just so excited to get back to work. I have 24 brand new wonderful composition books that are nice and blank...a clean classroom...brand new nametags...brand new markers and crayons...a list of names that will soon be attached to little faces and big lives.

Ah! I could just die of joy.

Anyway, I will hopefully be able to refer to this post when my problem child of the year is making me cry everyday and my class ends up with the worst DIBELS scores in the state. :)

Life is Great

Yeah, so life has been pretty exciting. I'm getting ready to start addressing wedding invitations, which is absolutely terrifying because I'm afraid I'll do something wrong. Since so many of my friends have been married recently or are getting married soon (Congratulations to Sharon and Joel, by the way, in case you didn't know...they are engaged now and getting married next summer!), I feel like if I forget to do all those stupid, stupid etiquette rules our invitations will be tossed aside and stomped on, maybe hung up on the wall just to laugh at. Maybe this absolutely egocentric fear proves that I am really, really immature. Maybe it proves all this wedding stuff drives me crrrrrazy! All theknot.com has done for me is make me paranoid.

Oh, we get to plan our wedding music now, too. Exciting, eh?

Let me tell you about my new exercise and diet plan. It is awesome, so let's hope I can stick with it. I got this book from the library. Denise Austin. Working out with an exercise ball and exercise bands. Now, I used to be a skeptic. I used to be all about just running and lifting weights. But this ball and band stuff is for real, dog. It is hardcore. I feel like death after I do it...in a good way. And I'm hopefully toning up for that big day...October 29th.

As for the "diet," which I don't really follow technically, but I'm sorta kinda taking tips from that book "The Abs Diet." So, my new thing is oatmeal. Plain oatmeal! Gross, right? No! Because I got non-fat syrup to put in it and frozen berries...it's so good! And...I'm now substituting turkey for beef whenever I can, eating lots of egg beaters instead of just eggs, and trying my best to up the amount of veggies I eat. Especially broccoli and spinach. This is a very good diet. I highly recommend the book The Abs Diet. And definitely try exercising with the ball and the exercise bands--way cheaper than going to a gym, and it seriously works. I can tell a big difference already and I've only been doing it for a week.

I haven't given up pizza on Wednesday nights, so that's what I'm going to do now...5 dollar Wednesday! I love Howie's Pizza!

BYE!

My Dear Rosa

I don't believe I have introduced you to Rosa, our kitty. She is a pure bred Himalayan and we got her free from John's mom's cat breeding business. She is part seal-point and part flame-point (her mom has dark features, her dad has orangish features). So, Rosa has dark extremities with orange-ish spots. And blue eyes. She's to die for.

I think our Christmas cards this year may feature a portrait of Rosa.

Himalayans are a cross created by breeding between Persians and Siamese. So, she is a very pretty, lovable cat, with a wild side. For instance, when she wants to be petted, she climbs up on my chest and bites my nose. When she wants to play, she brings her toy and drops it in front of me.

I just love my Rosa :)

A New Calendar

Yesterday was July 29th. That means the big day is less than 3 months away. Three months. Three months goes by so quickly. Three months ago, it was April 29th. I was stressing about my students' end-of-year status. My sister had just turned 14. That was, that was (sorry for the cliche)...like yesterday.

Will it ever come? I feel like the day will never come. I can't imagine myself walking down the aisle. I used to imagine it all the time, but I haven't really thought about it. All I think about now is how much the flowers will cost and what to put on our DJ list.

I think of events in terms of pre and post marriage. This Christmas I will be married. I'll have a husband. We can go find a Christmas tree together and buy an "Our First Christmas Together" Hallmark ornament. And hopefully, I'll be able to be a little bit more creative in my giving of "presents" this year...

Three months from now, I am going to be a wife. Holy cow! Does that register with you? Because it surely doesn't register with me. I feel like I am not really "getting it." I still feel like I'm playing "house" when I make dinner. When I clean the toilet or wash the dishes, I say to myself, "And this is only the beginning." Well, I would have to do that stuff even if I weren't married. But this whole adulthood/independence thing is sort of hitting at the same time as marriage.

We started our pre-marriage counseling. I like all the nice things John says about me and I feel this urge to impress, I think...to not say anything wrong to the big dogs who know their stuff (experienced married people). I don't want some married person criticizing our art. Relationships are a lot like art. John and I have a unique relationship, unique ways of communicating, etc. Is it right? Is it wrong? Do we have healthy habits? Do we have bad habits we don't know about that will explode one day?

Sigh. One can never tell. I'm thankful we have God on our side, and I'm thankful I'm marrying a man I trust, and I have faith that he can support me when I am weak, and I know I can support him when he is weak as well. I remember little things like that, and I am all of a sudden comforted. Content. At peace.

Ten Lessons I Learned by NOT Having Computer Access

1. The phone book still exists and works sometimes.

2. I can read 12 books in three weeks.

3. I like HGTV and the Discovery Channel. They are my favorite channels. I watched this show called the "Undetectibles." It's a new favorite, along with "Designer Finals" on HGTV.

4. If I can't "Google" an actor I see in a show and can't remember what I've seen them in, it's okay. I usually forget about it by the next day.

5. The Hallmark channel can be very refreshing.

6. I have a remarkable ability to clean for hours but the house is still messy. It's a mystery to me (like those mysterious things on the Travel channel).

7. I really like to play Tiger Woods golf on the Xbox. John and I both made ourselves (you can create your golfer to look like you) and play each other. It's such good bonding without the exercise. :)

8. I really can workout for an hour using my exercise ball.

9. The library actually does have useful books.

10. I have come up with some great ideas for children's books and even read a book about publishing them. New hobby? I think so!

Attention Faithful Fans...!

I apologize for the hiatus. I haven't had a computer since I left Ohio. Lucky us, both of our precious high cost computers have been completely fried. Yes, even John's 2004 laptop.

So...we have bought a new computer from Dell.com (cheap! yay!) and I will be able to write more often...soon.

Wedding Website

Okay! So I am really going to try to help everyone out with all the travel stuff. I just started a new website with some info about stuff to do in Naples due to frequent requests on fishing and everglades information. I'll be posting again soon about other things, of course. And in a month or so, I will try to send out packets to those of you who I am pretty sure are coming with coupons, brochures, maps, etc.

Please let us know if there is ANYTHING we can do to help you as you make your plans!

AND please visit the website at amandaandjohn.blogspot.com

Baking Cookies

I really love to cook. It's fun to create things you know others will enjoy...and it's highly likely that if it's really good, people will remember it. If it's really bad, it can be thrown away and no one has to eat it. On the other hand, if it's sort of bad, people may eat it but they'll forget about it before long.

So right now I'm baking cookies. The trouble with cookies is trying to make them all the same. My first batch was perfect. It always is. The second batch I made too big. The third batch I burnt. Darn it.

I'm hiding the third batch for my family to eat. They don't mind burnt cookies. Pretty much anything with butter, sugar, peanut butter, and chocolate they'll eat.

The cookies are peanut butter cookies made in the shape of little koala bear heads with Hershey Kiss noses and brown Reese's Pieces eyes. Cuties. I'll have to make these for my class when we do a unit on bears.

Rapturous!

When I decided to take my brother and sister to the pool today, I knew for certain that I absolutely must find a book to read. Without a library card and without any money, this proved to be a challenge. So, digging beneath my mother's romance novels and other books by authors who come out with a new title every other week, I caved and decided to begin the Left Behind series. Sigh.

It's not that I have anything against the Left Behind series. It's interesting and makes one think, reflect, and spurs conversation, I guess. But these books are just kind of "ehhh..." If you can understand that sound in writing.

I'm not really into Christian fiction. I'm not into it at all. I love Christian non-fiction and non-Christian fiction. Where is the next C.S. Lewis? Come on, God. Could you please give some Christians talent for fiction?

Anyway, it was pretty hot for good ol' Ohio today. After receiving a good splash by Jordan and Sara, I went back to my towel to absorb some UV rays and prayed, outloud I think, "Oh Jesus, please come back for me now. Please let the rapture be today!"

Best Meal Ever: Crusted Chicken Romano with Brancott Sauvignon Blanc and for dessert, a goblet of fresh strawberries...all at The Cheesecake Factory

Most Beautiful Bride: I'm sure it will be LINDSAY! Tomorrow! I can't believe it's here. I think I will cry my eyes out. I hope I don't lose my contacts, because I am still pretty new at this contact stuff, and I wouldn't know what to do. I guess if I cry my eyes out, I won't need contacts.

Getting Lost: Again--I did it again. I ended up in Ashland County. Sigh.

Bridal Shower: Mine! On July 9th. Come one, come all...you're all invited! It'll be at my house at 1:00. Fireworks are that night, too, so you can stay for them or, if you don't stay, leave early before all the crazies overtake the town.

Rehearsal Dinner: Tonight! I hope I don't get lost again.

My Hair: I got this new shampoo stuff at the salon and I think my hair is on its way to being normal again! Shwew. So if you're hair ever gets overtreated, get Redken Extreme.

Victoria's Secret: Semi-Annual Sale!!!! Super cute bags for 4.99! I almost passed out.

Books and Me...

When I open a novel, I am aware of the risks. I know I will probably grow to close to the characters, perhaps begin speaking like them, thinking like them, and most of all, understanding them.

Afterall, this is what I think I may do best, and I teach first graders how to do the same. What did Snow White feel when she woke up to Prince Charming's kiss? I could more than imagine. What would it feel like to watch a person die? I would cry myself to sleep at the thought. I've done things like that since I can remember.

Late nights, up with novels, reading them until they're finished--falling asleep happily or, in some cases, letting my tears roll from my cheeks until they fell off my earlobes onto my pillow, because I hadn't expected the impact of that ending.

Sometimes I relate to novels so much just by knowing my own experiences, and it makes me think or evaluate or even sometimes dig up some some pity for myself or others.

I knew this book I just finished would be sad. I knew I'd feel it too much. But perhaps somewhere in my subconscious I knew that I just needed to let myself have a good cry. And sometimes, sometimes, sometimes...it's easier to cry about fiction.

Chalk and Spot Remover and Excedrin and...

Those are the things I was buying today in preparation for Lindsay's big day!!!!!

I am so excited, I can't stop eating peanut M&Ms and I probably won't be able to fit into my dress on Friday.

So, Lindsay and I are off to the mall tonight to search for some...pajamas...? And then the bachelorette party is tomorrow night at Dave & Buster's and Veronica's! I want to mention right here how much I love and appreciate Veronica. Sometimes I think, "Why isn't she famous?" She should be.

And then Saturday I will hopefully be able to fit in some time with my family...my poor family that probably feels neglected since I haven't even seen them hardly. I did have lunch with Dad today though, and that was super.

And then Sunday is Kendra's baby shower!!! Yay!!!!!! I am just overjoyed with...joy and anticipation and RELIEF that...it's not quite my marrying time yet!

But I still wish it would come faster!

I highly suggest this book: My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

Our engagement picture!
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Impatient

Day Two of Bible school just ended, and here I am, wanting to pack up my stuff and live elsewhere but I can't because John is sleeping...since he works overnight and has to sleep until four o'clock. Now I'm not the kind of person that likes to drag things out, like moving. I either get it done all in one day or I stop all together. So, I'm struggling right now, because I want to move out...pronto!

Plus, right now is a really good time to move out because John's mother hasn't been here for the past few days and won't be here until tomorrow. I'd like to avoid any further criticisms, opinions, and lectures. It's not that I am avoiding conflict; I just want to cool off for a while before I'm faced with another loooong discussion about how stupid/irresponsible/lazy/inadequate I am. Which of course, I know I am none of those things. Well, sometimes I am those things, but everyone is sometimes. :)

I think I've memorized our Bible verse for the day..."Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." -1 Thessalonians something: something.

I love John. He's more than I ever dreamed of. I have everything I ever wanted, and more, and I've achieved everything I wanted to achieve. I have a wonderful family. But I was brought up a very normal way for me, and John was brought up a very normal way for him. As I grew up, I realized some slight differences in my family, some stuff that makes us weird or whatever. There were even some things that I didn't want people to find out. But I was surrounded by love and acceptance, always. Always. And I never doubted it for a second.

So I'm just wondering, is there a secret to the in-law thing? Is it possible to make in-laws love me instead of see me as a threat or a nuisance or a burden? Because I don't like feeling that way. Sure, I always just thought that being myself was enough. But NEWS FLASH. It's not.

But then at church tonight I realized something. Something I already knew and I realized before, but I just had to be reminded. I don't have to impress anyone. Not one single person. And you know what? I don't give a flying rat's poophole whether or not Cousin Jessie is upset she doesn't get free beer on tap at our wedding. And I don't care if Uncle Sid thinks we're in debt and should live in a trailer and I don't care if Grandpa thinks we should be making more money doing what HE thinks we should do.

Why? Because John and I are responsible adults, believe it or not. And yeah, we will make mistakes. But no more than any normal person has. And I don't have to impress people to make them love me. I have people that love me no matter what I do or say. So if these people want to dislike me their whole lives, that's just fine.
Because in other places, I'm accepted. I like who I am :)

It's just too bad that not every family can be as awesome as mine.

VBS

I've begun decorating my classroom for Vacation Bible School! It's one of those fun things to do that I sort of hate to do. I spent yesterday making sunflowers, a farmer girl, and a road map. My classroom's theme is...Kansas. Yay, Kansas!

Today John's sister, Anna, is helping me paint. It should be interesting...because we have to paint outside and it is HOT. Please, do not ever plan a trip to Florida in the summer. It is M-I-S-E-R-A-B-L-E. Hence the October wedding.

Wow. John and I need a lot of stuff when we move into our house. Like a mower and a microwave. Things that I know I could get from people cheap or free if we lived in Ohio. But we don't. So now we get to buy them. Yippee.

I'm going to put an ad in our church's "Needs News" though and ask for some stuff. Those Christians are pretty giving people. Thank God :)

Where's My Reward?

I think I deserve one after every "annual exam."

Let's talk about birth control. I've decided to try Orthoevra, or "the patch." It is really nifty. Don't worry, I'll keep you updated on how it goes. So far, so good.

John is funny. I guess it's the BS in him. Bachelor of Science, that is. You know, being in the "medical field." He was really fascinated by this patch and had to read all of the information. Me, I just stuck the thing on and that's that.

Well, I marked my calendar and made a schedule, too. Of course. That's me!

Tonight is John's first night on his new job as overnight manager of Target. Hmmm. I hope the boogeyman doesn't come for me.

VERY Nice Things

Wow! My surgery went splendidly and I had no trouble rubbing it in to JR...who had a terrible wisdom teeth experience not long ago. I'm a little bit spacey...it's day 3 now...I've stopped taking the hydrocodine due to its spacing out effects...I'll blame the elipses usage on that...I can't think in complete sentences right now so much. All I know is that this morning it sure felt like I was in a tunnel, where when I breathed in, I was racing backward, and when I breathed out, I was racing forward. And that was the end of my drug usage. I wonder what kind of drug might make a person feel like that...I didn't see any flashing lights or anything, so it must not have been too bad.

I seriously have experienced very little, if no pain at all. Now I am just taking Tylenol because for some reason my teeth don't hurt but my head does...I think I am going through caffeine withdrawal. I'm wondering if maybe I'm allowed to go to the movies. I'm sick of staying in bed. I feel like Charlie's grandparents on that Chocolate Factory movie. You know the one :) But maybe I shouldn't go anywhere because my head does hurt a lot sometimes.

I have been eating a lot. Just a few hours after the surgery I was eating noodles and mashed potatoes. I've been really hungry and I eat till I'm full, but it isn't taking much to fill me up...maybe because I'm not using much energy. Anyway, I've lost about 5 lbs., which I was worried about because when I don't eat for a few days, I drop weight like nothing else. So I think I'm going to eat cookie dough or something. I mean, my final fitting is July 5th, and I have to stay that size till October 29th...and staying at 110 lbs. is a little unrealistic. And hello, I am not Lindsay Lohan. If I'm going to lose weight, I'll do it healthfully, thank you very much.

I'm sorry. I'm rambling.

John and I are moving! That's right. Did I tell you this already? We got a house. Well, now it's for sure. I'll be emailing the address to all of you here in a while.

Nice Things

Sorry I haven't written. I may begin a new blog. Don't worry, I'll give you all the address! Anyway, I haven't written because I've been following that old saying that, as far as I know, came from Thumper's mom, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."

But I do have nice things to say, so I will say those!

John and I will begin moving in to our new HOUSE after I recover from my surgery. Yay! It is the cutest house in the world. It's in the Everglades. Really. There's a canal out back with alligators and snakes. Lovely! John is going to have a great time mowing the lawn.

I changed the menu of our reception to something more laid back and barbecue-ish and cut out all the free alcohol. But you can pay for it if you want and hold yourself responsible if you should happen to do anything dumb :)

We ordered the guys' shirts and now we just need the guys' pants! I love the guys' shirts. They are so cool. And soft. And beachy. The guys are going to look so sexy. I am going to have the sexiest wedding party in the universe.

I found a "photographer" (a friend from my church who photographs as a hobby) and all I need now is a DJ and a cake. This wedding stuff is easy peezy Japaneezy.
It's even fun most of the time, but I'm just sick of planning! We should have gotten married over Spring Break. I am now in strong support of very short engagements.

Your Linguistic Profile:

75% General American English

10% Upper Midwestern

10% Yankee

5% Midwestern

0% Dixie

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

Hum Dee Dum

Five days until oral surgery...nine days until Bible school prep. And moving just may be right around the corner...

Last Day of School

The kids' last day was today! It was sad. But I didn't cry! Can you believe it? Probably because I've been crying myself to sleep for the past three nights. :)

I'll miss my kids!

Very Important Info!

If you plan on coming to our wedding (October 29th) please consider looking at this website to book your flight: www.flyi.com. Cheapest flights we've found...you can get a round trip flight from Cleveland to Fort Myers for $258. If you find anything cheaper, let me know!

I Am the Princess

Things have been crazy around here! As usual. Revamping the reception plans. Praying for a photographer and DJ miracle.

Good news! One of my new friends (yay for new friends!) is engaged! I told her I am so mad because she just got engaged last week and is getting married BEFORE me! September 3rd! I envy her though because she doesn't have to spend 9,000 months planning. I am sick of planning. Okay, it hasn't been very difficult, I will admit. But I'm just sick of it. I think weddings should be surprises. I've picked my dress...who wants to throw a surprise wedding?

I have been very tired lately. It must be the fighting off ear infection bugs. I don't know.

Does anyone watch SNL? Did you see lastnight's? Lindsay Lohan? My favorite SNL person is Amy Poehler. Cracks me up.

I am the princess. I am the princess. I am the princess.

Rawhana kia koe!

(That's rah-fonna kee-yah quay...Happy Birthday in Maori)


Just a few years ago, on this exact day, the world became a brighter, more beautiful place!

Happy Birthday, Mom!


I love you!

Crrrrrunch Time!!!!

2 Weeks left and I am a FREE woman!

Until I have oral surgery, have my annual super fun dr. appointment, teach Bible school, go to Ohio, throw a party, take part in a wedding, attend my own party, move Ohio stuff down to Florida somehow, take summer teacher classes about vocabulary and comprehension, get hard core into wedding planning...

Summer vacation? What summer vacation?

It's not a good sign when my arm feels numb, is it? Am I having a heart attack?

Does anyone watch that show "House?" I love that show. I think I'm having a stroke. Just kidding. I'm a dominatrix. Just kidding.

I didn't know what that word meant, "dominatrix." But John did. I'm worried.

On to better things...Senior Night tonight at church! I'm not that excited. It takes a lot of work to be "cool" lately. I guess it's always been that way. For me :)

Anyway, I got all my grades in already! Next up: Making Father's Day gifts, celebrating summer birthdays, and getting final stuff ready for my students' cumulative folders.

Fun!

Better Days!

I really enjoyed your comments on my last post! Thank you :)

My students have been MUCH better now that our stupid, stupid tests are over and it isn't storming anymore! Thank goodness! I was going to be so mad at them if they made me hate them by the end of the year. You know, it would make it easier to say goodbye if I didn't like them, but what fun is that? I know they'll always remember me as the teacher who bawled her eyes out on the last day of first grade.

I had been sleeping better except for lastnight...what kept me awake was thinking about my new babysitting clients. I think I am going to do it one more week and then call it quits. Seriously, it stresses me out worse than anything because...oh yeah, I can't tell you.

I signed a contract, remember?

Anyway, I did learn how to play Halo 2...which made me wish that John wouldn't like video games so much so then at least our children would be less likely to turn out like these children I babysit...

Not that it's because of the video games, but seriously, some kids should not be playing killing games. Especially satanic ones.

Have you ever hated a child? I just can't stand this kid. I mean really. He tells me I'm stupid, to shutup, and that I'm an idiot. And then he tries to bite his mom and attack her. I'm sorry, but hello, that's pretty good reason for a spanking...I don't care how great of a child psychiatrist you are. His father is a psychiatrist. Yeah. Talk about frustrating.

Man, I breached my contract, didn't I? I hope I don't get sued.

Matisse, Picasso, Busy...Jobless Fiance, Retirement, Butterflies, Contacts, Tired...

Okay, I will try to make this brief!

Matisse, Picasso and Friends...

...visited Naples Museum of Art. Interesting, but crowded. Enjoyed Matisse more than I expected. Unimpressed by Picasso works (surprisingly) but love him best anyway. I went by myself. Enjoyed that part. Stopped by a cafe and had a fancy sandwich while I sat outside reading a book. Good fun. I was the mysterious girl, alone at the cafe...and the museum.


Busy

End of the year. Craziness. Constant testing. Letting the kids paint while I test small groups because I've neglected that this year. Celebrating Cinco de Mayo soon along with Mother's Day...how to fit it all in? We're painting a flower pot in memory of Maiya's mom, who died last year in a car accident.

Jobless Fiance

Yeah. Long story. Not fired. No new job as of yet. Need prayers.

Retirement

Spending a lot of money on retirement parties for coworkers because...I feel like I really should go to the things. 25 dollars a plate. Sigh.

Butterflies

Beautiful!!! I want to get my own butterflies every year whether I am a teacher or not. We let Brianna go today. It was heart-wrenching, but inspired creative little writings.

Contacts

One is "broken." It must have fallen out in the morning...because I found it on the sink later, and it was all dried out...and it fell apart. I know not what to do. My eyes are irritated, too, because I walked in the house while flea bombs were going off with my one contact in (no one told me the flea bombs would be going off). Now it stings to put the contact in at all.


Tired
I can't sleep because I lay there thinking about how I will arrange my classroom next year. You'd think if I were having trouble sleeping, it would be about something serious. But no...I think about where to put my desk, if I should get a new bookshelf...etc. Silly silly.

Yay!!!!!! Happiness!

Happy Number One:

This parent/teacher/ESE liason guy at our school (who has helped me A LOT this year, I might add) asked to talk to me today...about a student whose parents I FINALLY met...and to ask me if I was going to be teaching at Highlands next year. Naturally, I said yes, to which he responded with "Oh, goooood. I really want to get my daughter into your class. I have heard such GREAT things about you!"

My jaw dropped to the floor, I'm sure of it. I almost cried. And then I thought...oh man, what if his daughter's crazy? :)

Happy Number Two:

I made a friend! Her name is Amy, from church, and we are going to eat tomorrow after school. Yay!

Happy Number Three:

I talked to Susan, finally, yesterday for like an hour! Yay! Susan is the friend I've been stalking (calling her every day twice a day) for the past week. She's my maid of honor and I looooooooooooooooove her! So I'm glad I got to update her on my life... Come to think of it, I didn't have time to ask her much about HER life.
Uh-oh. I better call her back...

My Second Job and...I'm Hungry

Because wedding and living expenses are getting to be a little crazy and I don't really have THAT much to do on the weekends...and I do need to do something besides lay around and say "I'm so tired," I've decided to pick up a second job. That is, I decided to babysit for this lady in our neighborhood that goes to our church...Sunday afternoons, for about five hours.

Um...it's a bit strange. This babysitting thing. I had to sign a contract that said I wouldn't tell anyone anything. No, really. I did. So that's all I'm telling you.

Oh yes, and I am hungry. I buy five SmartOnes meals to get me through the week at work and two Marie Callender meals to get me through the weekends. I know...that's a lot of salt and preservatives. However, this weekend I haven't done my grocery shopping yet, so I'm unsure of my next meal. Perhaps John and I will go to Steak and Shake after church and I will try a steak burger this time.

Last time I had a turkey club and John's steak burger looked yummier. I love turkey clubs...but the turkey was too slippery and fell out of the bread.

Happy Anniversary! John and I celebrated our final April 19th anniversary this week. We went to the Cheesecake Factory. Yum!!!!!!! I highly recommend the quesadillas as an appetizer, the crusted chicken romano as a main dish, and the Snickers cheesecake for a dessert. And the Brancott wine. Mmmh.

I CAN SEE! I got contacts! It turns out that I have terrible vision and the optometrist could not believe that I could function. I'm adjusting nicely to the contacts. It's my second day. I got glasses, too. They're pretty fly.

Union Rep! I am the new union rep. at our school and I went to my first ever union meeting. It was great fun and I am excited about this new opportunity to step out of my passive comfort zone and start DEMANDING justice. Arrrrrgggghh! That was my pirate voice.

Field Day 2005

Well it must be a southern thing...cuz I know Maple Street Elementary didn't do all THIS for field day.

Almost all the kids bought Highlands Field Day 2005 t-shirts and water bottles. There was a snack bar, a gazillion water-battling games...and a dunk tank.

Miss Nicole Tremblay, the other new hip young first grade teacher, and I got paired up...and we did all of our games and things against each other. And we did everything our students did.

Now you'd think...Amanda, she's 23. She can surely run back and forth a bunch of times in relays, throw sponges, play tug of war... Well yeah, I can. It was soooooo much fun, too! But um, today, well, that's another story. When I got home, I slept for an hour and a half, then went back to sleep at 9:30 and slept till 10:30 (13.5 hours!). I am exhausted. My entire body hurts, even these little deep down muscles in my back that all feel like they're being pinched. And I have a bit of a sunburn.

Listen to how loser-y the other first grade teachers are. They quit field day at 10:30 because "the kids were too cold." It was 80 degrees. At least. They didn't do like four or five activities and took their classes inside. Miss Tremblay and I did all the activities, we both let our classes dunk us in the dunk tank AND we ate lunch outside. Then we got to go in, get changed, and watched Finding Nemo. Yay! It was really good we watched it because now my students finally understand what a baleen whale is.

:)

I just thought it was kind of neat when our students said to the other kids, "Did your teacher go in the dunk tank?" And the other kids would say, "What's a dunk tank?"

See, all the other teachers buy their students stuff. Easter baskets. Christmas presents. Miss Tremblay and I don't have the money to do all that. But we can afford the dunk tank. And very, very sore muscles! The kids' faces were priceless when they'd see us dunked. It was all very worth it.

I would just like to thank my mother right now for telling me there is a God, there is a Jesus, and not saying things like, "Anything you believe that works for you is true."

I know people that live with that "truth." You know, that "truth" that lies "within."

Pray for them, talk to them, try to live out a Godly life, try to be an example...I try those things. But I'm a hypocrite. It's true. All Christians are. Because we couldn't possibly live a sinless, perfect life.

I'm so glad that Jesus did that for me and made it possible to feel God in my heart.

Anyway, it's 7:00 am...school's about to begin. And I'm just tired. Worn out. Sick of the things in this world. Sick of money, sick of diseases, sick of arguments over right and wrong. But...I know none if it really matters (hear me repeating it to myself? It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter.).

I Love First Grade!

Four of my students were absent today. And one, the girl that really was causing a lot of problems in my class since she arrived a couple months ago, moved away.

Needless to say, it was the best day ever!

Surgery, Centerpieces, and Sex...

Surgery

I'm having my wisdom teeth taken out on May 29th. You should see my oral surgeon. He has biceps the size of my waist. I'm wondering if he's going to just pry out my teeth with those massive muscles. Everyone in the office was SO nice! I'm so excited. I love anesthesia. :)


Centerpieces

I bought 12 beta fish thingies because they look like vases and they were 1.80. But now I've decided that I don't like them. So I'm going to use those for the cake and food tables, put sand, shells, and roses in them, and get little fish bowls for the tables...for a smaller, better centerpiece. This idea subject to change. Any ideas? Send them my way! Susan helped me a lot. She and I talked on the phone today and no matter how much I begged her to drive down here, she wouldn't! But I think she understood what a beta fish thingy is and we came up with some great ideas. Thank you, lovely maid of honor!

Sex

Due to unmerited speculation on my sex life, I am very, very happy to say that John and I have not, and will not, until after our wedding. Though we have discussed having a secret wedding tomorrow and a fake wedding on October 29th, we've realized that's cheating and will do things the way we believe God intended them.

:)

H&R Block, I LOVE YOU!

God heard my prayers and sent me an angel by the name of H&R Block...and Nancy. Thank you, Nancy!

I'm Cool Now

I am like, so 1999 cool. Thanks to John, who has to be up-to-date cool, I at least get to be out-of-date cool. Since John has an ipod now, I get aaall of his old cds and any of the other ones he gets, if I want them. I also got the handy dandy cd holder he had for his car. You know, one of those cases that holds all of your cds on your visor. I never thought I'd have one of those, or enough cds to fill one, for sure. But now...I do! And now, I actually kind of look forward to my forty-sixty minute drives to work.

AND since I forgot my cell phone charger in FL when I was in OH and it's about the only way for people to reach me, I had to buy a new cell phone charger. But the thing of it was that the Cingular booth at Belden only had car chargers. So I got one of those and it came with one of those things you stick in your ear and talk to whoever without having to have the phone up against your face.

I only use it in the car so that people don't think I'm talking to myself. Unless they see me talking and driving, anyway, but I don't think they really do.

That brings me to ipods. I was a little...ehhh...about the whole 300 dollar ipod thing, but dude, that thing is awesome. You can get a gazillion songs on it for way cheaper than buying cds (and give your girlfriend the scraps), AND get it all beamed to your radio! Any radio! And it just...plays. Without a cord. Without anything, really. It's just a little box. It's the size of a birth control pill case, for real. It's magical. Absolutely magical.

Whew!

My spring break did wonders for me. Life has been good this week. I love my job, I love my students (most of them) and I just loooove my classroom. I like it here.

As for "home" (I don't really think I have a home anymore, but what I mean is, at the house here in FL) things have been less than satisfactory and my money situation has been just plain awful, and I think I've come to the real realization that there is just no possible way John and I will be able to move out by the time we get married, which is enough to make me cry, I'll never, ever, pay off my debts because I just know that even as I pay my debts, sooner or later I will create more...and more and more. There are two reasons NOT to live in Naples. One is it is really expensive to live there. Two is that everyone else is rich so it rubs on and you feel like you have to have this and that.

The people that live across the street from us have a plasma tv so big that we can sit in the yard and watch what they're watching. They live in a five bedroom house that they just bought for 500,000 dollars for like, 3 months of the year. And it's just these two (extremely nice) grandparents.

And sheesh. Everywhere I go it seems I hear people talking about money. How John's grandfather is a millionare or something. How the new pillowcases on our couch cost 37 dollars each (there's seven or eight of them). It makes me want to cry, you know? Not because I'm jealous but because...I could use that money, dammit. Darn it, I mean.

Sigh. It's just weird...I have everything I want and need, so I'm very rich. I'm very rich economically, too, technically. So why is it there isn't anything in my checking account?

Well, I know it's no good to share your financial struggles out in the open like this, but I know I'm just saying what at least half of the college graduates of 2004 are feeling!

But look at the first part of this blog...life feels good, for now, and I will live in today (because today is good) and leave the rest up to God. I don't even want to KNOW what will happen in the next two weeks of NOT getting a paycheck!