Slacker

Yep...that is me. A big ole slacker.

I am alive.

I have bought a car.

This is my year of the bodily ailments.

I'm love my new kitten Charlie though I'm sort of in naming remorse...I think he really is a Gus.

I don't teach just second grade anymore.

Tomorrow is my Friday so there is always a silver lining!

Finding the "want to" along with the time to post hasn't been easy.

I hope you guys are all doing well even though I won't be around to check things out for myself for a few more days yet.

Where I've Come From

Sometimes I find myself having the best time when I go back and read some of my old posts. I was stumbling around looking for an old post (never did find it...) but I did find some old favorites. And because I think it is always appropriate to take a minute and reflect on just where you've been and how far you've come I've linked some of my favorite old posts. So, if you're new to my blog or simply want to see what you might have missed then dive in!

Also, it might be a few days before I take up blogging again. I heard today that power is restored at my home. Let's all take a moment to say Amen.......did you say it?.... Anyway, I'm planning on heading home on Sunday morning. School is supposed to resume on Tuesday pending power restoration. We'll see how that goes. Anyway, that is the latest Hurricane Ike news.

Now get to diving....

Things I'd Tell Her If I Could...
Deck The Halls (Part 1)
40/60
Hi...This Is Steffany...Blah Blah Blah
Because I Just Can't Resist

So, there you go...now you know (or have remembered) just a little bit more about me!

Have You Laughed Today?!

It is back to work tomorrow and while I am ready to get back into my routine I'm not ready, as in prepared, to go back. Monday was a scheduled workday, but little work got done. It wasn't my fault though (so my story and I'm so stickin' to it)! I had to catch up with everyone for the first hour. Then I needed to whip out some lesson plans for a team meeting after lunch. Then I got invited to go out to lunch (with people I hadn't caught up with during the first hour) so I went. Then we had a team meeting...which lasted entirely too long...grrr. So, I finally got back to my room about 3:15. At 3:20 the assistant principal announces that the building will be closing with the alarm set at 4:00. Everyone was very surprised, but what can you do? So this afternoon I worked like crazy and managed to just get my desk cleaned off. Tomorrow will start early and probably end late!

Today was the required staff development in-service day. Normally this seems like a big waste of time. Seriously, that is just how it is. Well, today we had some pretty funny presenters and the material actually was very useful and relevant to me. There were a few "when is this over again?" moments, but mostly I was engaged.

The funniest part of the whole day was when someone would volunteer to answer a question the facilitators would share a cheer and then we'd all do it. You know teachers are easily amused so we all had fun. My favorite was one called the truck driver. You pretend that you're driving a truck and then you pump your arm in the air and pull the air horn. Then you pretend you've got a CB radio in your hand and say, "Good job little buddy...ten four!" For some reason, that completely cracked up the teachers at my table. We all wanted to have cool CB radio names. Any suggestions?!

Well, the teachers on my team have decided to teach these cheers to our kids so when someone needs some celebrating everyone can cheer them. But first, we're just going to do the cheer randomly...like when someone gets an answer right or does something cheer worthy. We're pretty sure our kids will look at us like we're nuts, and maybe we are, but you've got to find your laughs where you can!

And if you need some cheering let me know...I've got some good ones! (Hey, my kids can look at me like I'm nuts...y'all have to just love me as is!)

Sin On Wheels

I was out shopping today (I really was on the look out for something to be a gift for someone else) and I stumbled across this journal in the bottom of a sale bin at Books-A-Million. The more I looked at it the more I knew this $3 gem was coming home with me. I would assume that like most people I have a side that is a litter darker and naughtier than what you see and read on here. Maybe that is why a book where the woman on the front is a whisper away from being exposed and reads on the back, "...a journal that challenges you to be as bad as you can be on its virgin pages..." appeals to me.

Anyway, when I showed it to my mom (who made the appropriate humph sound and said my name in a way I know means she can't believe I bought that but then again she can totally believe a I bought that) she was quick to say, "What if you died and as we were going through your stuff we found a journal that said sin on wheels?" Well, I would imagine it would be quite an eye-opener! Take that to mean what you will.

The instructions say that I should unleash the raw passion of my life's lusty saga - the penetrating insights, the naked truths, the seminal events, and the graphic, gritty details of every betrayal, revenge, and triumph. While I'm sure my life has some of all of these things, I don't know if I'll be rushing off to record them all in this book. I've discovered that I have some memories and thoughts that belong to me alone. Though I have a feeling some of those would be the stuff this journal was created for. Besides, if I spill my guts in there what would I have left for here?!

This journal is based on a book so I think I'll look online and see if I can find it and order it. A book titled Sin on Wheels probably doesn't fall in my "grown up" reading list criteria, but I still have a love for the down and dirty romance. Who knows...it just might earn a spot on the side bar!

***I checked online last night and could only find two listings for this book on Amazon. The first was $60 and the second was $35. So, Unless I can find this at the public library I won't be reading it. Also, I did discover in my search that this is one of four pulp journals along this line. Those were ranging anywhere from $8 - $22 online so I got a deal on mine!***

Some Much Needed Time (Updated)

Tomorrow is Friday! Yea right?!

I'm taking Thursday off for some much needed me time. I need to relax my body and relax my mind for a while. So, I put in for a mental health day (my principal actually accepted that as a reason!) and my weekend will start a little bit early. You might be asking if I forgot about Friday, but that is parent conference day. So far I've only had a handful RSVP so that day won't be taxing at all. Therefore, it doesn't count on the whole school week.

I'm going to spend the night with a friend in the big city tomorrow night and then a fun-filled day relaxing. Sounds fun right?! Now don't be jealous...it isn't a good look for you!

***Y'all, I've never been to something quite like what I went to today. I had so much fun and my wallet didn't. LOL Anyway, I'm going to post some pictures of my finds later this weekend. I totally have retail therapy down!***

Moments Of Dork-ness

Have you ever had one of those moments when you absolutely were a dork? Well, I had one this morning. Even my mama, who loves me dearly, called me a goof ball. Let me stop right here...everyone is aware that last night was time change right? I know it now, but the fact escaped me earlier today.

I went to bed at a reasonable time last night. I knew I would have to get up and get a move on because I was going to meet my friend for church this morning. I rolled over and stared at the clock (which said 7:13am). This seemed like a ridiculously early time to get up on a weekend. I rolled over and tried to go back to sleep, but I was already awake. Darn. I finally crawled out about 7:30am (or so the clock said...lying little electronic device).

I went about my morning routine...wash my face, get grossed out by the over-grown-ness of my eyebrows, jump in the shower, you know, the usual. After my shower, I got back in bed and noticed that I had a text message waiting for me. Unfortunately, my friend picked up some nasty food poisoning and wouldn't be meeting me for church. I noticed that the text was received at 7:23am. I didn't remember hearing the beep but sometimes I miss it.

Now, I'd like to say that this was the point in which I remembered about time change. I could have had a nice laugh and gone back to bed, but nope. I continued getting ready for church...totally unaware. I was half way to church when it dawned on me that it was time change the night before. I was going to be an hour early to church. Darn...again.

About that time, I had a horrifying thought. It was the weekend and I had willingly gotten out of bed at 6:30am. Darn. Darn darn darn. Also, now I had some wacky time to kill. I didn't have enough time to make it worth going back home. I'd get there and have about ten minutes and then I'd need to leave again. I had too much time to just drive around for a little bit. I'm cheap and gas is expensive. So, what to do? I went to Walmart. I needed to buy groceries anyway.

So, blogger friends...learn from me. Go set your clocks back an hour!

Laughter Is Good For The Soul

I'm one of the lucky ones. The easily amused lucky ones I mean. During a really horrible year in college (I had the roomie from hell) I had basically forgotten to take some time and laugh. My mom reminded me that I've always been a happy person and sometimes you've just got to laugh to keep from going insane (or to prison for killing aforementioned roomie). She told me that as a baby/toddler she'd hear me in the other room just laughing and entertaining myself. I think those moments were pretty precious to her. So, apparently it started young. Yep, I often crack myself up and find humor in the most absurd things.

For example, I have certain words that just tickle my funny bone. Wiener (and not for any dirty reason) is one of them. I remember being in Houston on a Girl Scout trip one year and seeing a department store called Wieners. What an odd name for a department store don't you think? It was probably a men's store... Anyway, that word just stuck. I have a couple of friends that will toss it into the conversation just to get me going and I'm ashamed to admit that it works pretty well.

Another word is Twinkies. This one is sorta steeped in a dirty history (which to my mom's probable delight I'll skip sharing) but that word just makes me giggle. It could have been the context in which it was used but I'll never say the word the same again. I'm giggling now and I'm just typing it! Good grief.

Well, yesterday I got to add another word to the list. Waft. I know...seems like a harmless word. It all started before our Open House (like meet the teacher sorta) at school and one of the other teachers asked me to sniff her to see if she smelled like Subway. I (apparently not so subtly) leaned in and sniffed. I didn't smell anything sandwhichy. But just to be sure I gently fanned my paper in my hand to waft any scent over to my nose. (Yes, this is how tired teachers spend the night...sniffing each other.) Anyway, she asked what I was doing and I told her I was seeing if any scent wafted over.

Apparently, she'd never heard the term waft and wanted to know if I'd gotten confused and meant queefed. I quickly assured her that I wasn't the one confused! Well, that started a whole waft conversation and ended up with her telling another teacher to "Waft this!". I'm sure something is completely lost in translation but the scene was pretty funny. Well, today everything was waft this or waft that. And I spent a good portion of the day giggling to myself.

Words aren't the only thing that amuse me, but I think I should wrap this up. I would imagine many are thinking I'm something of a nut and well...maybe you're right. But I'm a happy nut!

All Checked Out

Amid all my travels this summer I also had to make time for all those routine annual exams. Those were by far not as fun as the vacations. Wait...let me rephrase that. They were not fun at all. But, in this day and age it pays to stay on top of your health so I scheduled myself to be checked out head to toe and that place in between.

Today was the last appointment. I had my teeth cleaned. I had actually gone yesterday for the initial visit with this doctor and he took eighteen x-rays of my mouth. Yes...I said eighteen! Some were really unpleasant because I have these bone bumps under my tongue. Anyway, he said what a lot of other dentists have said...I have great teeth! But, he did say that I'd have to have my wisdom teeth out within the year or I could be looking at some teeth pushing. I'm not looking forward to that at all. Goodness, I get side tracked so easily. Today was the teeth cleaning. It doesn't hurt at all, but that scratching they do nearly drove me insane! It sounds like nails on a chalkboard but you can't get away from it.

Well, as I'm laying there practically flat on my back I kept feeling like it reminded me of something. Oh yes...my annual "woman" exam. You know, I bet someone could make a killing by coming up with some unique art that hangs on the ceiling! Anyway, thankfully everything is in complete healthy working order and no one should need to probe or scrape anything for another year!

While You Wait

Load the car...check

Make the bed...check

Take the last minute trash out...check

The only thing left is to turn the air up and then go to my hair appointment before I head out of town. I'm really excited! The only downer thing is that I won't have access to a computer (it's freaky how I've grown addicted to it!) so I won't be able to update my blog or make the rounds to visit you lovely people. Awww, I know.

Anyway, I've made a little list of links to some of my favorite posts. Feel free to click around and enjoy the read!

The New York Experience - this is a recap of my last big trip. I went to New York City with a good friend. We had so much fun...as you'll read.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7

The Joy of Ordinary Days

Dex: The Fat Kitty (though his wobbly parts aren't really seen in this post)

A Questionaire Thingy

I think that's probably enough. And if you've read all of those you need to get up and take a break! Take care blogging friends!

My Strange Addiction

I have a pretty strange addiction. Well, actually I have a lot of strange addictions. Some are to places, some are to people, but one of the strangest is my addiction to all things gummy. I'm not sure when this started,but it's pretty hard for me to pass up something gummy. I remember thinking those Troll gummy pizzas were just the best type of candy. Anyway, I'm sure my addiction is rooted deep in my childhood, but I'd never seen anything like this before.



I found it at Garden Ridge when I went the other day. It's gummy tacos! People...gummy tacos. I know you're trying really hard to resist the urge to leave your house and find your nearest Garden Ridge, but try to make it all the way through this post. On the back of the box it even has "recipes" you can make from the gummy treats! You can make quesadillas, a mini taco pizza, or a veggie taco. I think Taco Bell should get a hold of this idea...pronto.

Anyway, through the course of the night I enjoyed my four little tacos. See, just another little thing about me you probably didn't know and now are wondering where to file this little gem. I love gummy candies!

Now get out there and try something gummy.

Poor Blog

My poor blog! If you ran your finger across it big dust bunnies would stick to your finger.

Unfortunately, this isn't the night to dust if off.

I just felt like I should say something...so here it is.

Why are blonde jokes always about women? Are blonde men NOT as dumb as blonde women...not that I'm saying blonde women are dumb. But, still...I'm curious.

Far from profound but at least a date from this week.

There Is No Wisdom Here

I wish I had something witty or profound to say today, but I don't. Have you ever watched a TV show or movie and someone has all these great thoughts in their head? For example...Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives (can you tell what I did last night...lol)?

Meredith and Mary Alice always have such insightful things to say. Sometimes I watch the show and think gee I wish I'd thought of that! Or I think I'm thinking that exact thing, but she said it so much better!

Anyway, I want to have something great to say today, but I don't.

Enjoy Friday and have a good weekend.