Raising the white flag of surrender...

Being sick sucks...


That is all.

Sinuses & Ants

Since the weather has gotten warmer the past several weeks (mid 40s, low 50s), I have seen an appearance of one off ants wandering the walls of my apartment. Usually with ants there's an ant trail that shows you were they're coming from. Not this time! I have random ants just wandering around the walls and ceiling of my apartment. I've lost count of the number of ants I've smooshed in the last two days. This morning I think I may have found their point of entry- the windows in my bedroom. The windows that are directly above my bed. Think about that for moment...grody. Now that I've found their entrance, hopefully, I'll be able to stop them from taking field trips through my bedroom!

I've been having sinus pain for the past couple of days. Have you ever noticed how messing with your sinuses messes with your sense of taste? Everything tastes funky. It also makes it painful to bend over to tie your shoes, pick something up off the floor, sneeze, breathe... I don't think I've been 100% healthy since December...or November, really if you take my gall bladder surgery into account. It's not enough to keep me home. It's just enough to slow me down.

More bang for your buck...

1. One of the theaters in my area has replaced their regular theater seats with leather recliners. Yes, you read that right...leather recliners. I saw Monuments Men last night with a friend from work. The movie was good and I have never been quite so comfortable in a theater before. It was like watching a movie at home. I decided that I will only go to that theater...when possible.

2. I have discovered a new place to hang out, lesson plan, read, dink around on the internet...my local-ish library. It's not the library closest to my house but it's just an extra 15 minutes away and totally worth it. It's newer and reminds me of the downtown SLC library but on a much smaller scale. As I walked in tonight they were changing the gallery wall to some really great photographs done by local photographers. I've come three nights this week and it's quickly becoming one of my favorite places. I don't tend to get too much work done at home and I can only stay at school for so long before going a little nuts. The library is a nice solution!

3. I have no idea where this academic year has gone. We are halfway through the 3rd quarter as of next week. The End of Level testing schedule starts up at the end of March...as in 6 weeks from now. That seems like plenty of time but let me tell you, IT'S NOT! I'm starting to panic a little. Not only is there End of Level testing, we still have to do district interim tests, reading level tests, there's a field trip a "special day", various early outs...when am I supposed to teach?! I can feel the panic start to settle in my chest whenever I look at my plan book and I see how much I have to cram in in the next 6ish weeks. I still feel like I'm playing catch up from when I was out in November having my gall bladder removed.

4. One of my boys passed all his classes last quarter so the Assistant Principle bought him and some of his friends lunch and they ate in my classroom yesterday. These are the boys I've taught for two years now and they're a tough group. They've push me beyond the edge so many times but I can't help but love them. One of them turns to me and says, "Ms. B, I think I'm going to cry on the last day of school." The other boys chime in saying they will probably cry too. I agree and tell them I'll miss them next year. One says, "Don't worry, we'll come visit and bring you Carne Assada Fries from Betos." The other agreed saying they'd miss me too. I'm going to be a mess that last day. They've come so far since I've met them. I'm so proud of them...when they're not ruining my day by being total jerks, that is.

Sharing time...

Not too many people know this about me but I write...a lot. I've written poetry, short stories, random one off scenes, I've started several novels (finished one). It's not a constant, all the time sort of thing but every so often an idea popps into my head. Sometimes it will be a line of poetry, a description of a character or event or even an entire scene. And then, BAM!! I'm obsessed and I can't stop thinking about it.

I was driving to SLC on Saturday and I was hit with a crystal clear picture in my head of a particular scene. I'm trying to figure out all the other details but this is a story that my brain is demanding to be told. I highly doubt it will ever see the light of day beyond my computer but I enjoy the process. It's rather cathartic.

Dear God, make me a bird...

I got to spend time with a good friend I hadn't seen in a while. She makes me laugh and encourages my inner (increasingly not-so-inner) sass.

I also had a rather emotional conversation with my mother this afternoon. It was a long, tiring, emotional week for me.

Do you ever feel the urge to retreat and let your heart and soul heal and rejuvenate? I'm nearing 30 and I've never wanted to run away so much in my life as I have in the past year. As I told my sweet, understanding older brother tonight, I'm feeling the need to retreat and lick my metaphorical wounds.

Law of the universe...?

I got home from a 12.5 hour day around 8:00 tonight. As expected, I was completely and utterly pooped. So why is it, now that I am snuggled up in bed, I am fully alert? I want to sleeeeep!

The reality of being a teacher...

I should be getting ready for the day...a rather long day...but I'm having a hard time mustering up the energy to do so. It's been baby steps. Baby steps to the shower. Baby steps getting dressed. Baby steps to the bed. Baby steps to the closet... It's one of the joys of being a teacher and having to go to school when you're coming down with the latest bug (brought to you courtesy of the germ incubators aka your students) because of of a meeting or parent teacher conferences or a day ending in y. For me it's parent teacher conferences.

Baby steps to the bathroom....ugh...

Burning the midnight oil...

Okay, so it's not really midnight but it is after 10 and for me, it might as well be midnight. It's kind of funny - I love to sleep. Really, if sleeping were an Olympic sport I would be a gold medalist...several times over. And yet, I do my best creative thinking after about 10:00 at night. I did my best paper writing and research in college after hours. Of course back then I could sleep in until lunch. Gold medalist sleepers don't achieve such great heights by neglecting their zzzzzz's.

This has once again proven true. After schlumping about all day, 9:45 hit and the creative juices started flowing. 45 minutes later I have several fun lessons sketched out for my creative writing class and the tendrils of a poetry contest taking shape.

Too bad I have to be up by 6:00 am most mornings. It had a tendency to stifle one's creativity.

Death and taxes...

Filing my taxes should not be such a pain. My taxes are fairly straightforward but it's stupid little things but really annoying. Also, this year's return us small. Lame. At least I don't owe, that's something...