Can't Think of One

You know, I have a lot of things rolling around in my head right now that I want to post on here, but there just never seems to be enough time to sit down, gather those things into one coherent story, and post it. If I could only quit my job, there would be so much more free time. Yeah, right. I've got a while until Darren gets home, and besides, who wants to do laundry anyway?

Let's see, I promised to post about my MS 150 training and fundraising. So far, I am doing all right with training. I am taking an hour-long class on Tuesday and Thursday evenings to help with speed. It's at a health club, and we take our bikes and trainers. It's a lot of fun to ride with other people, and since it has been cold and rainy for almost a month now, it's nice to be warm and dry indoors. I've also ridden some on Saturday mornings, and need to add longer rides, along with Sundays. I would like to do some core strengthening exercises, because that would really help me out. So much to do, so little time! I joined The Woodlands Cycling Club, and it's nice to have a new group of friends. We ride together in the class and on the weekends, and Darren and I hung out with them for the Saints-Bears game. About that game, don't go there. it would have been wonderful to see them in the Superbowl, but it wasn't meant to be. I do not care about the Superbowl now; we are going to go to the Houston Auto Show on Sunday. I just want the Bears to lose. I'm not a Colts fan, though.

My fundraiser is going well, so far. I think I have raised almost $200. We are required to raise $400, and I still plan to put up an envelope at school for my co-workers to hopefully donate. My students have started to give me their spare change, so I hope I make it! If anyone is actually reading this, and wants to contribute to my cause, there is a link in the sidebar. Even $5 would help!

About the job thing, I have decided that fifth grade is no longer the place for me, and will try very hard to make the move to elementary next year. I want to only have one class of kids, and get to know them better. The attitudes this year are hard to deal with, and I just need a change. I looked into buying a Kumon franchise, but after looking at their financial information, i don't understand how you can possibly make money with it. I would have to take off so many days this spring to go to Chicago for training, and there were just too many hoops to jump through in their process. The idea of owning my own business again was very appealing, but it seemed like there would be long hours for very little (if any) profit.

Zach is thriving in his new class. He seems to be getting in trouble a whole lot less, and comes home so much more enthusiastic about school. There sure is a lot more homework, though.

We went to Dallas this past weekend for my cousin's wedding. My parents left Friday morning, and we drove up Friday night after work. The three-hour drive up I-45 sure is boring! Our hotel room was really nice, and we got up Saturday morning, ate lunch in the hotel restaurant, and set off for some sight-seeing. We went to Dealey Plaza and explored that area, then toured the Sixth Floor exhibit, all about JFK's assassination. That is one of my dad's favorite mysteries, and Darren enjoyed himself, as well. Zach was most excited about all the trains that ran behind the parking lot. Why can't Houston get on the ball with a commuter rail system?

After the museum, we drove to Fort Worth and walked around Sundance Square for a bit. Being the responsible parents that we are, we took Zachary to a pub called the Flying Saucer for a beer (he opted for a vanilla shake from Starbucks). The wedding was at 3:30, so we headed back to the hotel to get ready after that.

The wedding was at a cathedral in downtown Dallas, and since it was a Saturday afternoon, there was a full Mass. The priest went to high school with my cousin, so that was a nice touch. It turns out that the bride used to work with me at Bombay in Baton Rouge in 1999/2000. Small world. The reception was at a catering hall that was nice, but dark. The DJ came in from the big city of Eunice, Louisiana for the occasion, and it was fun. What was odd was that the wedding party didn't dance or mingle much. They just sat at the tables while the older people danced. We enjoyed getting to catch up with my cousins, and Zach had a blast running circles around the dance floor.

After the reception, we went back to the hotel, and tried to decide what to do for the evening. We thought about walking around the West End area, but it was cold and windy. My cousin called, and we went and met a few people at their hotel bar. It was nice getting to catch up with Colette and Michelle. I used to visit them every summer during high school, and we'd see each other from time to time in college. I think the last time I saw them was at Colette's wedding in 1999. No one has died or gotten married since then, so there has been no reason to get together. They are so nice, and I miss talking to them. Our other cousin, Robin, was MIA that evening.

Sunday, we ate breakfast, packed up the car, and drove to Bedford to see my friend Jenny from high school. She and I were inseparable in high school, then parted ways during college. We were in each other's weddings, but she moved to Dallas in 1997, and we've only seen each other a couple of times since then. She has a son named Brice, and he and Zach hit it off immediately. What's so funny is that she e-mailed me Saturday to say they were sick and couldn't get together with us, but i didn't get the e-mail. Jenny was a gracious host, though, and if she didn't want us there, she hid it well. I can't wait to spend more time with Jenny and Brice in a couple of weeks, when we both head to Lafayette for Mardi Gras.

Well, I need to go heat up dinner and work on laundry. Until next time.

Year-End Wrap-Up

Well, 2006 is officially coming to a close, and blogging sounds like more fun that finishing my grand office cleaning project. I do need to start getting ready for our party later, though.

Anyway, I was thinking about our year, and what we've accomplished/where we've been. It's not a huge list, and there are still some things that I had hoped to do, like lose a massive amount of weight, that haven't happened. There's always next year, right?

Here's my quick and dirty list:

Places I Went This Year:

--New Orleans, LA in March and June
--Austin, TX in April and June
--Newport, RI (new place for me) in May
--Boston, MA in May
--New Braunfels/San Marcos, Gruene, TX in July and September (new places for me)
--Chicago, IL in August
--Columbia, SC in October
--Baton Rouge, LA in August
--Lafayette, LA many times

So, no place exotic, and two of the trips were for weddings, but they were all fun. In the next year, I anticipate going to Dallas in January for a wedding, South Carolina for a baby shower or birth, and maybe Chicago twice in the spring for some training. Still no trip to Europe in my future. I will be riding to Austin on a bicycle in April. Scary.

Stuff I Accomplished (in no particular order):

--made some new friends
--cleaned out the garage, office, pantry, laundry room, our bathroom
--got a dog
--bought a new bike/found a hobby that Darren and I could enjoy together
--made some friends with kids Zach's age
--took a trip alone (very weird feeling to be without Zach)
--reconnected with an old friend from high school
--got contact lenses
--got caught up on uploading pictures/ordering prints (TODAY)
--took tap dancing lessons

Well, uh, I guess that's about it. Not such an impressive list, but that's all right.

Goals for the future are:

--Lose weight
--Get pregnant (hmm. could counteract lose weight)
--Make it to Austin on my bike
--Get caught up on my photo albums
--Get two cars in the garage
--Buy a Honda Pilot
--Buy a Nintendo Wii (we don't have any video games, and have decided to buy this as a reward for finishing the MS 150)
--Make a career change/get a new teaching position in art or elementary school
--Clean out my closet

OK, time to shower. Have a great night, and don't drink as much as I plan to.

Update

Things are going much better today, even though Darren stayed home sick. I finished (and mailed) the last of my 49 Christmas cards, finished my baking (the biscotti is in the oven, and the haystacks and oriental crunch mix are cooling), and Darren called his dad to tell him that we will go there for Christmas Day. Zach is going stir-crazy by staying inside all day, so we'll have to plan something fun for tomorrow. We have a vet appointment in the morning; does that count as our outing for the day? I just don't want to go anywhere right now. I like being at home, and have lots of things to keep me occupied. It's good for our bank account!

On the job front, I had my phone interview today, after I listened to a recorded message. Things are progressing pretty fast with this, but I guess they have to. I have to drive to Katy (the other side of the world to me) on January 5th, use one of the precious few personal days I have left for this school year, and take a reading and math test. The reading part won't be a problem; it's the math I'm concerned about. My last math class was the fall of 1992, and I didn't go to class a whole lot. I got a study guide from the library, and actually enjoyed working math problems last night. Call me a nerd...

After I pass the tests, I have to have another interview and register for the training cycle by January 15th. I will then fly to Chicago in March and May for training, costing me 8 days of time off. One and a half of those will be paid, but not the rest. At over $200 docked pay for each day, this could get expensive. I will sign the franchise agreement in early June, and be open by mid-July. At least I'll get paid by the school district until August 15th.

There is still a lot of information to find out, like the earning potential, and all of the exact details involved, but I am excited about this. VERY nervous and apprehensive, but excited.

6 more days until Christmas! The 5-year-old whirlwind can't wait to tear into his gifts, and I hope the dog doesn't help him do it ahead of time. I'm keeping a close eye on those two. I've already learned the lesson of putting bows on presents this year. Apparently they're quite tasty. The one good thing about the dog is that the cat isn't sleeping and shedding on the tree skirt.

Off to clean the kitchen. AGAIN.

Christmas Rush

Friday was our last day of school until January 4th. It was also the end of the nine weeks, day of the teacher talent show, and day that my parents came in to celebrate Christmas with us. Because of those things, I had to get my baking done for friends at my school and Zachary's teachers, as well as presents wrapped to send to South Carolina with my parents. No pressure, right? It seems like every time I try to do something to simplify my life, something else comes up to complicate it. Why is that?

As far as Christmas is concerned, I still need to finish and mail my Christmas cards, which I vow to cut back on every year. It seems like I send more, but receive less each year. Darren has such a large family, and rarely do we get cards from anyone in his family. I know it's the thought that counts, but it would be nice if there was some reciprocation. I am done with my shopping, but still have some gift wrapping to do, as well as baking for the neighbors and Darren's co-workers. I think it's all doable, considering the fact that we are staying home for Christmas, and not having any company. This is the first time EVER that I will spend Christmas away from my parents, and it feels really weird. I know we have to start new traditions, but I have such a small family, and we've spent every Christmas with my parents and sister. I think my sister has missed once or twice, because she lives so far away, and her in-laws live a few hours away from her. We'll go to Galveston to see Darren's dad Christmas afternoon, so that will be fun. I am sure that Zach will get to see several cousins, and run around and be loud with them. I hope the weather is decent; it snowed two years ago for Christmas. I am sure it will be shorts weather this year. We are not having a New Year's Eve party this year, for the first time in a while, and it feels weird. We have a friend who is having a small game night, but she hasn't said too much more, so maybe it's not going to happen. We have been invited to a party with some of Darren's co-workers, and that sounds like a lot of fun. If we find a babysitter, it may work out. I don't want to be on the couch at home that night, nor do I want to have a party and have to prepare lots of food, clean my house twice, and go back to work January 2nd.

As a teacher, it seems like I put off all projects around the house for Christmas and summer breaks. The two main things I want to accomplish over this break are to clean out my closet, and clean out our office. I did both this summer, but they have fallen by the wayside. My scrapbooking supplies, which don't seem to be selling faster than I am getting them in, are taking over our office. I made this nice little area this summer to sit and work, but it has become a dumping ground, and there is no room to sit and scrap. I want to do something about that, since it doesn't seem that I will be having any more Friday night crops over here. They are too much work for little profit, and I really do want to quit selling Creative Memories. I just have to figure out how to do that...

Remember how I was talking about changing jobs? Well, an opportunity for an almost entirely new career path has come my way this weekend. My dad and I were talking on Saturday morning, and he is going to help me buy a franchise. I won't elaborate too much just yet, but I would get to continue working with children, would have more flexible hours, and would be my own boss. It seems too good to be true right now, so I don't want to get my hopes up. I do have a phone interview with the company tomorrow afternoon, so we'll see what happens...

MS 150--Am I Crazy?

I have signed up to ride my bike 187 miles over a 2-day period in April. The ride goes from Houston to Austin, and I, along with 17,000 other people, will be riding to raise money for MS research. Darren and his brother did it this past year, and I was so proud of him for finishing. It really inspired me to do it next year, but I am very scared. I bought my bike in September, and a friend found a trainer for me in a garage sale for $10. I rode 25 miles over Thanksgiving, but aside from that, have not ridden. I need to start training, so I can actually make it all the way to Austin. I know several people who are planning to do it, but I don't know if I will be able to keep up with them. It will be a good way to get in shape, if nothing else.

I am concerned about making enough time to ride. I am going to have to make it a priority, and at least get on the trainer every day, if nothing else. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Everyone who rides is required to raise at least $400. That is a huge amount of money, considering that Darren and I both have to raise that amount. I will have to start hitting family and friends up for the money after Christmas, and hope that I can get enough donated for me to ride. If anyone is interested in contributing, the link is in the sidebar, and no donation is too small. Every penny donated will be greatly appreciated, and I promise to try not to fall on my face!

Can I Have a Do-Over for November?

Well, another month has gone by without me posting something here, but there has honestly not been much worth writing about lately. I was sick with various sinus ailments from October 24th, when I got a flu shot, until early last week. I was tired, congested, cranky, and coughing. I am still a little hoarse, and not 100% better, but am finally feeling human again. It cost me three of my precious eight sick days that I have this year, so I guess I can't get sick again for a while. Now that that's done...

I've been thinking a lot lately about what I would like to do career-wise. I am very restless right now, and really think I need to make a change for next year. There are so many factors to consider, though. I would hate to leave my friends at school, but feel a little disconnected from them this year. We don't hang out much outside of school, and I'm fine with that. All I want to do after work is come home and sit on the couch. I know that's not completely normal, but I've just been anti-social lately, unless it's completely on my own terms. We're so busy that an afternoon with no commitments is bliss to me.

Aside from my friends, I don't feel like I'm being challenged in my job. I do like social studies, but fifth graders seem to come with more and more attitude problems and emotional disturbances every year. It's getting harder to actually teach, rather than focusing on discipline. Plus, I've heard that I am going to have to teach writing next year. I am a very bad writing teacher, and wouldn't ever grade any of my students' writing assignments. We have huge classes this year, and will have even more kids next year, until another school opens in the fall of 2008. Things are crowded now; I can't imagine what they will be like next school year!

I am really considering teaching art, since I am certified to do that. If not, I'd like to at least go down to elementary. I want to get off school at the same time as Zach, and not have to take off work to schedule doctors' appointments. Most offices now close at 4:00, which is the same time that I get off work. I would LOVE to only work half-time, so I can volunteer in Zach's classroom. I can't imagine losing half my salary, though, especially since we are planning to buy a new car in the spring.

Maybe I should just scrap it all and go to culinary school, or open a business. I'm just dissatisfied, and I don't know what would make me happy right now. I know my future isn't in selling Creative Memories full-time; I'm definitely not cut out for that. Will someone just tell me where I can find another job with equal pay, the same number of days to work per year, and no nights, weekends, or holidays? That would be perfect.

Another Year Older

My birthday yesterday was a lot more uneventful than last year! No hurricanes, we kept power, and there were restaurants open. A significant improvement. I don't really care that much about my birthday, but last year's was just lame.

We went to Louisiana for the weekend to see the folks. I hadn't been since July, Darren hadn't been since Father's Day, and more importantly, my parents hadn't seen their only grandchild since August 17th. Mom and Dad's house, which I call "the money pit" has been in a constant state of remodeling since they moved in two and a half years ago. There are always new improvements to see each time we go.

It was a nice weekend, even though the weather wasn't so nice. Saturday, Mom and I did some damage at Macy's, buying new clothes. It's so nice to find some classic, tailored pieces that aren't cut for people with no curves! Saturday afternoon, Mom and I went on a towel quest to find some new towels for one of the bathrooms, and Saturday night, we all went out to eat to celebrate my birthday. We went to Peking Garden, which was the first hibachi restaurant in Lafayette. The food was excellent, but it took forever to get seated. As my hubby says, "They take reservations, but they don't know what to do with them."

Yesterday, we went out for breakfast to Dwyer's, which has been around since the 1920's. It took forty minutes for our order to arrive, and when it did, they had run out of biscuits. You would have thought the waitress would have had time to let us know. After lunch, we ran around to a couple of places, and we headed back around 3:30. Zach slept almost the whole four-hour drive, so last night's bedtime was a marathon event.

I got all sorts of new bike stuff for my birthday, so I guess it's time for me to get serious and start riding. I bought my road bike a few weeks ago, and have only ridden it three times. By the time Darren gets home during the week, it's almost dark, and Zach isn't trustworthy on a bike. I need to start making the time to train, so that I will be in great shape once April and that 187-mile ride come. I just need to stop working, so I can ride during the day. Ha.