Good Day, Sunshine. Bad Day, Wrong Line.

Today was a good day. The second day of school (29 more years and 178 more days) Yesterday wasn't really that bad except the fact that it was so freakin' hot. My God!!! I'm glad I ate those 3 cookies and piece of cake at the baby shower I went to this weekend because I know I sweated it off yesterday. Today was better because A. my room was cool(er) B. I got to each lunch today C. I actually got a chance to go to the bathroom. ooh wait...now I'm on a rant.

I once had a friend say (whowillremainnamelessmatt) that said teachers are paid enough money and have an easy job. Now, I"m not griping about a 30 year veteran teacher...because yes they are paid fairly. However, new teachers are not. We work 183 days a year, yes. But, if you look at all the "extras" we put in at that time...we deserve the fucking summer off. I am contracted to work 8:30-3:45. I go in at 7 or earlier which adds up to an extra 7.5 to 10 hours a week (because I do stay late.) Rarely I take work home because I go in early and I don't want to do work when I get home. Anyway....at this rate X 36 weeks 7-9 weeks more of work (regualar work year with a little extra vacation.) The biggest argument I have is that to ask yourself these questions
1. How many times a day can you go to the bathroom?
2. How many times a day can you push your work back and give yourself a breather?
3. How much money do you spend on your job? Do you buy your own pencils? Crayons? Glue?
4. How often do you spend money to reward people (students) with candy, pizza, icecream, etc? How much does it cost you?
5. Have you ever talked for 7.5 hours with no break?
6. Do you have to decorate your office every year spending upwards of $600 your first year of work and a steady $200-300 each year after?

I love my job. I really do. I could have been a bigtime salesperson or supermodel (ehh, well maybe not that) but anyway....I just get irked when people say "yeah...but you have the whole summer, holidays etc off."
And this is what I answer.

Well, you could have chosen the greatest profession in the world, too.

Ever man I've ever dated (hated.)

Speaking of journaling again. I had a really good journal entry yesterday. I even started a poem. It could be because I'm actually opening myself up to dating again. You know, after 2 1/2 years I think it's time. Not that I didn't want to date, but I think secretly I was turning myself away. A guy would look at me and literally I would turn away. I don't know why. I think I turned into every man I ever dated (hated.) It's funny...I know it from my dreams. I know dreams really reflect your subconscience and also kind of help you to work out different problems in your life. I dream a lot that I'm driving, but driving "vehicles" that aren't really drivable machines. Vending machine, invisible car. I think it's that I know that I want to date somebody, but I'm actually scared so I do things that clearly won't get me there. (Turn my head, not go out, etc...) I also would dream of other things (not that I can think of them now) that were diverging from any sort of commitment. So I decided last night that I'm ready. I'm ready to get my heart broken if it happens. (That's the biggest thing I think you have to overcome.) With a new job (finally full-time) I'm ready to grow up. Welcome home, Roxy Carmichael, right?

One-eyed Will you marry me?

I started journaling again. (See? I knew this blog would do something good for me!!) Anyway. I always had written on napkins or small note pads and then would later shove them in my journal. While it is now overfloweth, I found something so funny (to me at least) I literally burst out laughing last night. In college a few of my friends and I used to make up scenarios and then have a response of A thru D. This is what I found. It was about a guy that was infatuated with my friend.

"Suppose Bill has one eye like a Cyclops and one tooth. But, he asks you to marry him because God spoke to him in light... You:
A. Politely look him "in the eye" and say no.
B. Run like a banshee before he pops the question.
C. Offer him your broken sunglasses which are now a sunglass.
D. Say yes and let him nibble on your ear with his tooth.

I don't know why this struck me as so funny, but it did. It also reminded me of really good times.

The Perfect Saturday

Ah the perfect Saturday. Laying around on the couch with my dog and watching Sex and the City. I've just recently bought the first 5 seasons (gotta love Ebay!!) so I'm catching up on them. I didn't have HBO until the last 2 seasons so needless to say I have a lot of catching up to do. I've managed today in the midst of eating popcorn, sugar-free creamsicles, diet coke and iced tea (yes, I'm working off a hangover) to watch the first 6 episodes of season 2. I'm only dreading the fact that I have to go back to school on Monday. I really wish life was a TV show. Why can't I have a super-cool life like in Sex and the City? Actually, just the hair, clothes and make-up would do. In any event, my Saturday so far has been perfect.

Crazy Cereal Names

I just heard a commercial for Honey Bunches of Oats and it took me back to college when a group of girls and myself would sit around and make up porno names for cereals. "Honey Munches My Scroats" for instance. We also had "Cocoa Buffs" and "Cheeri-Hos." I can't think of any more but it was always fun. I also remember doing that to movie names as well. Oh, good times.

Your friendly neighborhood bear...

So I took this relationship quiz that was posted on dan's blog

eXpressive: 9/10Practical: 5/10Physical: 2/10Giver: 8/10
You are a XSIG--Expressive Sentimental Intellectual Giver. This makes you a Teddy Bear.Hee! I just want to give you a big squeeze. You are tender, honest, generous and fair. You are an excellent kisser and a sensitive, communicative lover, and you know it. You would never intentionally hurt someone's feelings or overstep his/her boundaries. You have beautiful eyes.
Most people take your laid-back attitude, blazing wit and subtle sexiness and stick you in "friend." But some see your extreme hotness for what it is and latch on. This means you have a few members of your target sex in the bank at all times -- I call this "money in the sex bank" -- but you're too sensitive and thoughtful to exploit them. More than once.
You are so rational and deliberate in an argument that it can frustrate and exhaust your partner. Your fights can take forever, but your press on with them until they are completely resolved and both you and your partner are satisfied. If your partner is weak of will, s/he may just give in -- be wary of this! An emotional or passive-aggressive outburst later will hurt and horrify you.
It is *critically important* that you are able to respect your partner. The moment you lose respect for him/her, you lose everything. When you make friends, you make them for life -- you can go without speaking to a friend for years and pick up right where you left off. You are completely faithful, both physically and emotionally. You are the second best (to XPIG) parent of any type.
If you are male, you have a huge shlong. Just saying.
Of the 2934 people who have taken this quiz, 10.7 % are this type.

okay....who are these people that are "money in the sex bank" and why haven't I met them? I must take 100 of these crazy quizzes. I love them. It's like reading a horoscope. When they say something good, I'm all for it. If I think it's bullshit then oh well.
A teddy bear. Doesn't everyone want a teddy bear?

Wine? Cheese? Me?

Wine and cheese should be stated Cheese and wine from now on for me. I need to focus on eating more cheese than the wine. Oh, the headache. And, apparently it's keeping me from updating my blog since I haven't been here for a while. School starts this week on Thursday....why can't there be week of school, week of vacation? (and still only be 180 days!) I suppose it will go fast once it starts. Maybe that's why there is so much more wine (whine) than cheese.

The Staples

Being a teacher you go through a lot of staples. A lot more than necessary because of this. Staples come in the long unit of 100 or so stuck together so that they neatly fit into the stapler. Now, usually the unit will snap in half of more and you're left with small units of staples. These small units of staples still fit in the stapler, but because of the springloaded whatchmacallit that pushes the staples up, they buckle and fly out of the stapler before you even get the damn thing closed. UGH! How are you supposed to put units of 5 or less staples in a stapler? Maybe I just have a cheap stapler, but none the less, it pisses me off.

On a lighter note, after spending countless hours at my school this week and last preparing for the upcoming school year, I finally got to the pool today. It had looked like it was going to rain, but when I got there it was hot and sunny. I read a bit of my book Wicked and relieved the stress of the stapler.

or am I only dreaming...

So I always have the strangest dreams. Last night I dreamt that I was trying out for American Idol. Not very odd. However the night before (and for those of you who know me....here I go again with another dream) I dreamt that I was going to ride a horse. After collecting the saddle, bridle, etc, I went to the stall to get the horse. I look into the stall and I know it's supposed to be a horse, but it looks like a greyhound with long hair. I'm pretty puzzled at this point and everyone is looking at me like "duh, this is your horse." I'm looking thinking how on earth is this "horse" going to support the saddle, let alone me? Traveling. This is a common theme in my dreams. I'm usually trying, getting or have gone somewhere by an odd means of transportation. In my dreams I've traveled via invisible car down the highway, space-looking roller skates to driving a Lance vending machine. I'm not really sure what this means unless it's that I really want to get somewhere with my life, but must use an outlandish idea or way to get there. hmm....I think I've just summed up my life. Life is not ordinary.

Aqua Lung

So I've started swimming again. Now, I used to swim all the time. And, when I say all the time, by the time I was 14 years old I was swimming 5,000-7,000 yards a day, 6 days a week, and all but 3-4 weeks out of the year. To get back in the pool really has been heaven. I've been walking everyday in the morning at 7:00 and just recently been swimming at 8:00. Getting up at 7 sucks to go out and walk. However, the other day it rained (no walking) and I was super psyched to go and swim at 8. Go figure? Maybe it's because I'm a Cancer or maybe it's because swimming is the only sport I really know how to do. Either way or more, I have never felt better. I'm also getting rid of those love handles I aquired throughout the past 10 years. It gives me time to think without any interuptions except for the noise of the air blowing out of my nose and kick of the water. Maybe in my former life I was a mermaid. Ha..or a blowfish.

Sugar Pie, Honey Too Much

Okay...so in my neverending lists of pet peeves, this may top it. It drives me absolutely batty when someone my age, within 10 years older and ESPECIALLY younger calls me "honey" or "sweetie," UGH! Nothing pisses me off more. Number one: it's completely condescending. Number two: it's worse when it's someone of the same sex. Terms of endearment like those are reserved for parents to kids under 10, grandparents to any age, love interests, or teachers to kids under 10. (Being that I'm a teacher, I have noticed that the first grade and under need this to make comforted sometimes....sometimes.)
While out to dinner last night, the waitress called me honey or sweetie at least three times and she was clearly 5 years younger than me. It just sounds stupid. I'm not 5! Okay....my gripe is over for the time being.

So maybe I'm not so EZ

So I told my story about the EZ pass to a few people last night while out. And, to burst my bubble, the EZ pass did register. Uh, yeah. Apparently you have to have it in some silver bag that NASA develops or something. Oh well...I still would like to think that he thought I was cute and cut me a break. At least I'm potentially worth $6.

Blog: Perplexed and the City

So...as I mentioned before, strange things usually happen to me. My friend and I went to NYC this weekend to do some shopping. Macy's? Tiffany? Prada? Gucci? Well....sorta. Let's just say we're doing the look for less. Much less. And, going to places that young, hot girls like ourselves shouldn't go. Anyway. Our adventure starts in Havre De Grace, MD where my sister lives. We head off to the city around 7:30 with about a 2 hour drive ahead of us. Plans are to go in, get our shopping done in 3 hours or less and have lunch with Dan in Brooklyn. As we're heading toward the city I get a small wave of panic that I have to drive into there in my parents Caravan. (We are REALLY shopping.) Oh shit, I think. And then I'm like....wait a minute. I can drive in downtown (or for you yinzers "dahntahn") Pittsburgh with no problem. This will be easy. I'm serious about this because for those of you who haven't driven amongst the hilled, oneway streeted, no square blocked, built on three rivers city, another city such as NYC may seem overwhelming. Though I was nervous at first, I think the whole confidence of "I can do it" took over. Regardless....we made it to the Holland Tunnel where the cashier person (a man) looks at me and says, "you have EZpass." I reply, "no I don't." He then coyly smiles and says, "yes, you do." {Strange thing one} So I smile and drive on through thinking damn I must look good. Or, my fantasy of "maybe he thinks I'm famous." Either way I've just saved $6. My friend and I head into an undisclosed location in middle Manhatten to start our adventure. 3-4 trips back to the car we're finished. AND....one of our lovely sales people actually carried our bags to our car!! For those of you that know what kind of shops I've been in, this doesn't happen. {Strange thing two) So, Shonda and I call it a day and take the train to Brooklyn to meet Dan for lunch and a drink. Another drink. Eight drinks later we're laughing, telling funny stories, hugging goodbye and back to shop at a pit stop in Chinatown, pick up a few things and take the (wrong) train back to our parking lot where we meet our (once) cheerful parking attendent. "Do you know what time I close?" uh....10? I replied. NO! 6:00. .........it's 10:15 by the way. So, I appologize look at the sign below him that says that it doesn't close at 6:00 and tip him an extra 9 bucks to shut him up. Hey...he said he told us, but like the Holland Tunnel man, I think he was stunned with my beauty. {Weird thing three} heh, heh, heh. We end up back home around 1:30, tired, hungry and groggy. It's amazing how shopping, drinks, friends and an angry parking attendent can really take it out of you. By the way...it was really great visiting with Dan. I wish he lived next door.

My first blog

Well, I started blog after b-sing with a good friend. Or, rather bitching with a good friend and he told me "hey, you should start a blog." After I learned what it was, I thought...oh my God! This is basically what is going on in my head. A place for me to bitch and I don't have to think, "ok...shut up now." Maybe this will get me out of my writer's block as well. I used to journal all the time, but have found out that as soon as I get into bed, I fall asleep. My writing is messy as well. I don't know if these will be interesting or not. But, I've been told that the strangest things seem to happen to me. I'm heading to NYC this weekend so we will see what the future of streets hold for me. I see purses.