The Constant Search for More

Catching Up- OKC Feis

2011-10-02T12:36:00.000-05:00

My oh my, I got behind again!! Jon came down with strep and simultaneously work became insane. I wish I could tell my boss I need personal time to make sure I'm staying connected with my blog friends. Hah! If only...

First I owe you all pictures from the OKC feis I participated in September 17th.I, personally, had an absolute blast. Jon was there, as was Leo, and it was so nice to have them there for support along with my great ID family. I did well in my dances, screwed up right in front of the judge on my reel though, so I rightfully placed second (though her comments were very positive overall, so I think she liked me). My two main goals were to dance well, better than my last feis, and to have fun. Mission accomplished!! I even looked forward to getting back on stage after dancing twice. I cannot begin to tell you how big this is. Huzzah!!

A new addition to the Goode Academy (my dance school) is this little guy, Greer. He's my dance teacher's first son and kinda like the school's kiddo too. lol He made it through the entire day very well, sleeping for the most part, and was held by many moms at my school. Can you blame them?

Another new thing, well for me, is that I decided to wear a wig. That's right, I have jumped on the wig bandwagon and I don't intend on getting off. It is just SO much easier to get ready in the morning sticking a wig on than it is curling my hair for over an hour. Don't get me wrong, I love having my hair curled, but, as these competitions start at 8am, I'd rather spend a little extra time sleeping and warming up than on my wig. I'm going to tinker with the look of this one, but, overall I was rather please with it.

Leo was a HUGE hit at the feis! I had so many people come up to me and ask to pet him, or ask what training a service dog to be is like, and I even had a couple of people thank me for being a trainer! Initially, I was worried that fretful dance moms would freak out about his shedding (which there is a LOTof) and tell their daughters in their nice dresses to stay away, but, that didn't happen. In fact, I was the one who was telling dancers to watch out for dog hair! lol

Leo was also useful as a pillow for worn out dancers. ;-)

Yeah, I just had to post this picture. What a great leap by my uber talented friend, Susan. She placed third in the highest level, Open Champion, at this feis. I was so bummed I didn't get to see her dance as Jon and I had to book it back to Tulsa in the late afternoon. Feisanna (plural for feis) are an all day affair, and the champs get the benefit of not having to dance first thing in the morning. Which is just, as they've worked their tails off to get at that level.

Susan!! Love this girl!

Greer was such a great baby during the entire feis. He just napped or was patient with the many moms who held him so that K.t could coach and watch the dancing. I know it's a bit of overkill to have two pictures of him sleeping, but, he's so stinkin' cute how could I not??

Of course, no feis blog post would be complete without the 'Goode Academy feis camp' picture! These are many of our dancers and their moms hanging out and eating lunch after a long morning of competition. Thank goodness for Jon, he went out and bought me a really good hamburger, and checked us out of the hotel room, AND took care of Leo while I competed. I didn't have to worry about much except dancing, which is a first for me! When I completed my last dance Jon brought Leo over to me as I left the stage and I got a big hug from him and Leo. It was wonderful to have him there and he actually told me he had fun too! Unfortunately, Jon can't make it to the next competition as he'll have class. I'm hoping, however, he'll be able to go to another one or two next semester. The younger dancers have feis moms, but, I have a feis boyfriend and service dog!

What else can I say? It was such a freakin' fantastic day! I cannot express fully how lucky I feel to be part of such a fantastic and unique sport and to be surrounded by such lovely people. And to have a supportive boyfriend on top of it all?? Brilliant. Simply brilliant.

Feis Peek

2011-09-18T18:27:00.001-05:00

My favorite photo from this weekend. The feis was great, the Scottish Games were...meh for me, but, pretty well overall. Suffice it to say, I'm completely wiped out, so detailed posts with plenty of pictures will have to wait. Hope you all have had a fantastic weekend!!

Feis Bound

2011-09-16T11:51:00.001-05:00

In just over three hours Jon, Leo (yes Leo!!) and I will be on the road to OKC for the feis tomorrow. Wish us luck! I'm so excited, and a bit nervous. I promise to take plenty of pictures of Leo around all us decked out Irish dancers!

Oh and just because it's so cute here's a pic of Leo with my dance teacher's baby boy Greer. (click to see it blogger mobile wont let me adjust the size) That's his baby and loves to watch over him.. And sniff...

Irish Dance Speed Bump

2011-09-12T15:06:00.004-05:00

I've been hitting my practice floor a lot lately, in preparation for an upcoming feis. I kid you not, every time I set down to get my shoes on, Leo comes in and lays on my dance floor.

I'll admit it, sometimes it's really hard to tell him to get off.

Making a House a Home

2011-09-11T20:04:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I woke up with some seriously, near manic-ish energy. Like, I literally woke up, ready to do something. I have recovered from my little bug from earlier in the week and I guess that meant s**t needed to get done! So, after practicing dance, writing in my journal, I decided to break out the paint supplies that had been sitting around for...ummm.. let's go with awhile and begin working on finally getting the dining room painted. I was tired of this house not feeling like home and it's time we put some of our plans in motion!

From blah to bright!

It was just me for the first hour or so, then Jon came back from his biology class and helped out. As you can see, the walls were white. I have often felt that I'm walking through an institution because the walls are so sterile white- everywhere in this house. I love white, but, too much of it is just... irritating. Gradually we came around to painting first with the living room and then we kinda just stopped. However, we're picking up speed with that and other projects/decorating things around here. It really is time to put some personality in this home! For too long it has just functioned as a living space, but, now we want more of our own little stamp to make it a place where we really feel at home.

I like it when I don't have to use the ladder. I have this thing about falling.... and heights make it worse! Gravity, will you ever be cool?

Leo should be happy he's yellow already. I'm certain he got paint on him, there's no way he could've avoided it!

The painting took us no more than four hours. That's right, under four hours!! God bless primer and paint together. It really speeds up the painting process. Is it sad that I could go on and on about that?

After we were finished painting I looked at our furniture in there and felt really... well, I felt worse about the room! It wasn't because of the paint, I LOVE it, but, I realized that the huge dining room table that had been sitting in there, mostly unused, was just not right for the space and new color. Jon was given that table three years ago, it used to be his sister's. We decided that we'd keep an eye out (we're in the process of saving money atm) for a nice, smaller dining room table, and a piano to really make the dining room a place we would go into and use for its intended purposes. The cats used that room more than we did, and that's kinda sad when you think about it.

This morning I decided to look through Craigslist and see if anything caught my eye. I've gone through it before for dining room tables, bookcases, etc to see if I found something that was a bargain. No luck, obviously, so I figured what was the harm in looking through furniture for sale ads?

And what do you know, I found a bloody table!! And was being sold for only $150 to boot!! I emailed Jon the ad and texted him to call me back after looking at it (he was running errands, I was cleaning house- and surfing the internet). When he did I nearly begged him to go take a look as I was sure it would be a great table for us. It may not be something we'll keep forever, but, it would definitely be more functional, add space for a piano, and more us! He went over and gave me a call saying he did indeed like it and if I was good he'd bring it home. WOOT!

I must mention here that he fit that entire thing, plus a leaf, in his Prius. That's right, I said Prius. Makes you wonder how much Tetris Jon played as a kid.

Two minutes. That's all it took for the cats to begin finding sweet spots on the table.

We have swaped the tables out and I couldn't be more thrilled will the look. It's perfect! Not to big, but, can be added to if necessary. We will sell the other table on Craigslist for cheap, and hopefully selling that will pay for this table. This purchase was not planned to be so soon, but, hey life is funny sometimes. I'm glad a little initiative and the universe throwing us a bone yielded such great results. I can't wait for a piano to be in there and to have some nice meals on that table.

If the cats don't mind sharing the dining room that is. ;-)

Lord Have Mercy Rant Ahead

2011-09-07T08:56:00.003-05:00

I missed nearly a week of posting, and for that I apologize. My first week of school went well, then the second week came- and boy howdy did it come like a fleet of Mack trucks to run everyone at my school (children included) over and send us into near chaos. I didn't sleep well for another week, so it's no surprise that I've caught a bug and am staying home from work today. Sleep deprivation and stress will do that to ya, you know?

Where do I begin? (rant coming on, so if you wanna look away now, please do!)

The school district I work for is large and underfunded. Oklahoma ranks near the top of poorly funded school systems and lowest paid teachers. Not something to be proud of to say the least. There are some districts nearby that are in better shape due to the area having property taxes and all that, but, my district as a whole isn't one of them. So, it came as no surprise when they implemented a new policy to change the way things were being done and ultimately to save the district money in hopes of providing better attention to students's needs and of course let us not forget passing those bleepin' state tests that are so ever important to show the public we are teaching children stuff.

If I sound a bit bitter, I am. Not going to lie. I get the need to redo things, I get the request for accountability with the state tests, but, as far as implementing all these new changes in the name of the bottom line you loose me. Last week thanks to said policy changes my school had to cut a teacher and shift four teachers around, dissolving their classes and putting the kids into new classrooms week two of school. As things stand now we have nearly thirty children in all of our third grade, fourth grade, and kindergarten classes. Now this isn't the worst out there, but, bear in mind we have nearly a quarter of our school population with learning disabilities, many more undiagnosed/untreated, and almost fifty percent of our school are learning English at school (ELL).

And the teachers are supposed to get everyone to pass those precious state tests (3rd-6th grade) with those odds. Oh lets not even go into home environments that perpetuation illiteracy and such. I could write a book at this rate.

Last week was obviously chaotic and the staff is on edge and the students sense it. Heck, even Leo was wiped out by last Friday! I know that there are no easy solutions here, and the school district lost state funding while implementing this new policy. One large part of the problem, on the district level, is they're implementing a new policy while enforcing it with old policy rules- it only makes sense, barely, when you realize that this was ruled on and implemented in less than a year. Yeah, it makes me want to scream too.

I think what frustrates me the most is the whole bottom line mentality when it comes to education. I know it's not as prominent in other areas, but, still money is the name of the game. There are sub-cultural attitudes that contribute to children who can't read, and of course, parents who don't give a crap about their kids education will inevitably result in many of those kids being unsuccessful in school. That said, however, education is an investment, both by parents and the state. It takes time, patience, and varied resources to help a child be successful. Results take time, learning is a life long process after all. The demand, however, for success now, to educate with virtually nothing coming into poorer schools, etc etc is one of the main culprits that continues the cycle of kids who can't read, kids who turn to crime as they grow, who become parents too early, and then raise children who don't care about education because what good did it do for them when they were kids. It's sad, and it's distressing and I know the school system isn't completely at fault. These parents should be responsible for what they do to their kids, absolutely. There's no easy answer, nor a perfect school system out there. But, surely, we can do better can't we?

I apologize if this rant comes across as political, I don't intend it that way. I'm just an educator who is witnessing first hand what these policies and mentalities are doing to those children who are growing up in poverty, by no fault of their own. It is them who are the victims and it is me who is on the front line, fighting, and quickly realizing that I cannot throw myself in front of every single bullet whizzing towards nearly all the kids.

Getting My Zen On

2011-08-29T12:21:00.003-05:00

For the past three Saturdays I have been going to an Ilyengar based yoga class. I've always been interested in doing some more yoga, but, time and money never seemed to line up. Now that I've made more time in my schedule to be a happier, less overworked human being I figured better late than never. To say this class has been doing great things for me is an understatement! My head feels clearer and my body feel better; it's as if I'm undoing the tension caused by life and the physical impact of dance and work.

Of course, Irish dance is my 'addiction' and thus I've been practicing more, taking private lessons, and gearing up for a feis September 17th in Oklahoma City. There will also be a couple of performance opportunities in the next two months which I'm going to do as well. I'm excited about the competition and performing, which is kinda new- typically I'm a nervous wreck with excited mixed in there! That began to change a couple of weeks ago, I was watching an interview with Jeff Bridges. He said something that struck me, "Have fun, but, don't take it too seriously."* Of course! I tend to take everything too seriously, and sometimes I miss out on enjoying activities because I so desperately want what I do to be perfect. This is silly of course, no one is perfect, yet I stressed myself out about every little move I did wrong in dance, and subsequently in life. I won't go into everything I view as incorrect, but, I have realized that I need to keep life and activities in perspective, because if I'm not enjoying dance, work, training Leo, etc., I truly am missing the point.

It seems that getting in shape, mentally and physically, and enjoying it really has a multitude of benefits. Which I know you're thinking, duhhh!! Even I knew this, I'm really beginning to experience these much talked about benefits for the first time. I think life offers many challenges, some wonderful, some not so. But, if you work to keep happy, live life, enjoy what it has to offer and put things in balance it seems, at least to me, that even the not so fun challenges are much easier to face.

How do you keep your life in balance?

*Jon has dubbed this statement as the Tao of The Dude. I feel like I should ring a bell every time I say it now. ;-)

This School Week

2011-08-25T18:33:00.003-05:00

Nothing terribly exciting report this week. Mainly I've been adjusting to my school schedule, subsequent fatigue, and Jon's new college schedule. Oh there was that whole tv thing, but, other than that things seem pretty mellow. Despite that, however, I must share with you some of the new, interesting, not so interesting, highlights of being back in school this week. And I know you are PUMPED for this right?! Am I right??!?! ;-)

Saying goodbye to the summer sleep schedule and adjusting to the new one has had its ups and downs. The wake up time hasn't bothered me too much,but, the fact that the first two nights I couldn't fall asleep has. Oh and what's up with waking up at 3:15am thinking the alarm should be going off any minute? Really, body, really?

Yesterday two-thirds of my school building had no air conditioning. Some sensor decided it had had enough with the Oklahoma heat and fried like an egg on asphalt (yes you can do that under the right circumstances). That was bad, obviously, but, what made it worse was the 106F temps yesterday. I think the teachers were about to die, or explode. The kids... well, they were sweaty and smelly, but, thank goodness there were no casualties.

The assistant superintendent visited us today and was furious our a/c had not been fixed. He made some calls and the job was done by 10am. Where was he yesterday?

I lost a student's brother after school. That was fun.

I work in a kindergarten class that has the school's only vegan. Yes, a five year old is being made into a vegan by his mother. That's a new one for me.

Leo has adjusted amazingly well. In fact, it's almost like he's 'home' in a way. He is comfortable, happy, and eager to be working and napping in class. It's awesome, and I'm one proud mamma.

Despite overcrowding in one school nearby, and two fourth grade classes bursting at the seams at my school, the school district may cut positions based strictly on our enrollment numbers. No, not that we need these people in the office running things or that we desperately need another teacher to lift the burden off of the two with forty kids in their rooms, it's all based strictly on numbers. It really boggles my mind to say the least.

I am glad to be back. Despite the insanity that being at my school brings, I'm happy to be back. My new piano lesson schedule is also working well so far. I'm still a little worried about this set up in the long term, but, so far I'm happy and still functional despite the getting-back-into-the-new-routine fatigue. To say I needed to feel like that this week is an understatement. I'm doing a mega happy dance about it, in my head b/c I'm too tired right now.

Hope your week is going well also!! Bisous y'all!

Tv 'Stardom'

2011-08-22T22:02:00.003-05:00

Well today was the first day back to school. It was great, despite my concerns and lack of sleep! Leo was amazing, and I was so surprised he got right back into the routine as if we never left. However, something happened to us today that was really, very unexpected.

We ended up on local tv!!

I was walking to class with Leo and we literally ran right into the camera crew who were interviewing my principal. Before you know it I'm getting reigned in to an interview, camera walking around with us, the whole shebang! Mind you they did get some details wrong... you all know Leo's a service dog in training, not a full fledged service dog, and he's being trained for physical disabilities, though he's rather good with the students! That said, I think those errors will go mostly unnoticed as how can you think about such details when that adorable face is involved?? Anyway, it really was an unbelievable experience for me. To get an opportunity to share what Leo and I do day in and day out is priceless, and I will NEVER forget this experience! We're really the lucky ones, Leo and I, to get the honor of helping children learn and feel better about their lives. That said, however, I'm glad many appreciate and enjoy what we do as well!

BTW forgive the many bum shots, the hair, and my stammering and overuse of 'like' and 'you know' It was humid and rainy today, and I so, SO was not expecting to do this at all!! Talk about thinking on the fly and then some!! At least Leo was as cute as ever and such a pro. So proud of him!!

Enjoy!

Summer Send Off

2011-08-21T11:17:00.008-05:00

Last night a few friends joined us in celebrating the end of summer, as well as the gainful employment of a friend (she was laid off earlier this summer), and the start of Jon's new career venture. We decided breakfast for dinner, dubbed 'binner', was the best way to go. I mean after all, who doesn't like breakfast in the Southern tradition of carbs and artery clogging goodness?

Homemade biscuits. That's right, from scratch folks. Thank you Alton Brown, and flour, for making this all possible. Oh and butter, butter, is important in making biscuits.

When there is meat and butter, or cooking of any form, there will be a dog nearby hoping against all hope that something will drop on the floor. Louie loves anything carbon based. Which means he never leaves the kitchen when anything is being cooked.

Mmmmm..... bacon.

Strawberries so sweet they didn't require any doctoring up whatsoever. It can't get more summery than perfectly ripened strawberries.

Can we say yum?

Of course, if your going Southern, and you have homemade biscuits, there must, absolutely MUST, be gravy. Preferably, sausage gravy with cream involved. Oh yeah... we went all out on this 'binner'.

And who doesn't like pigs in a blanket? Especially when they involved Havarti cheese and gourmet sausage. How could we refuse this non-traditional addition?

Mimosas. Made with real orange juice, which come to find out, means I will absolutely love drinking them. Sorry about the wine glasses, we don't have any champagne flutes around here, so, a little improv was required.

We ate until we nearly exploded and drank through two bottles of champagne. All while watching a bootleg recording of the Book of Mormon. Not as good as seeing the show live (which if they come into town or we go to NYC I will SO pay to see it!), but, we didn't care as it still was brilliant. Such a fantastic evening and a perfect way to say adieu to summer.

On a side note, I will say I'm sad to see summer go. Tomorrow I begin working back at the school I did last year. I'm looking forward to the kids, of course, and Leo will love being back. However, I wish summer was a little longer. I've gained so much perspective these past three months. Jon and I've talked a lot, begun planning things, figuring stuff out.... I can't help but worry that work will get in the way of all of that again and I'll end up like I was last year- just going, going, going never stopping and being worn out and miserable because of it. It's hard though. I don't make a whole lot of money at the school, but, I do need the insurance, and teaching piano lessons is smart financially, but, going between the two is a lot of work. I just wish I had more time to put things in order before I begin working full time again. Just so I could have some peace of mind that stuff is done, just in case I get too caught up in the work to survive mode. I hope I'm worrying over nothing. I guess we will see soon enough!

Well, I'm going to end this on a happy note. Hope your summer is winding down nicely!

Good News Everybody!!

2011-08-17T11:01:00.003-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, I made mention of some potentially exciting life stuff. Well, now I can share what's going on as the plans are in motion. A couple of weeks back Jon called me from work and asked what I thought about him working towards becoming a patent attorney. I didn't hesitate in expressing my 'approval', if you will, of that idea. Jon loves technology, new toys and such. He has always read blogs and articles pertaining to emerging technology from computer software to biotechnology. He also is artistically inclined to boot. This job field would allow these passions to merge with his schooling, not to mention, an increase in pay and opportunity as being a patent attorney is a fairly exclusive field within the legal world.

Our excitement led to a LOT of research. Once again I say, thank God for Google! We found out that Jon would have to go back to school to gain enough science credits to qualify for the patent bar exam. The requirements vary, giving you three-four different science class combinations. Jon decided that eight hours of consecutive chemistry courses combined with twenty four hours of various biology courses would be best, and shorter option for him. It will take roughly a full year to get all he needs out of the way, if he went to school part time while still holding down his full time job.

Next, Jon had to gain permission from his firm to be allowed some time to pursue this. Many classes he can take during the evening and there are even some courses that are offered for several hours on a Saturday. However, not all classes will be that convenient so he needs the ability to go to a morning or afternoon class during the work week. Much to our delight, Jon was given the green light to go for it. Fortunately, Jon works in the pre-paid legal division, so he isn't always having to worry about heading to court for stuff. He mainly deals with clients over the phone and writes a lot of letters on his behalf. Thanks to his ability to do all this quickly and well, gaining permission to go back to school was, to use the phrase, easy as ABC.

Last we had to figure out a cost effective way of doing this. Though our Alma Mater offers all the courses Jon needs and is easy to get to, it's impractical as it is expensive and Jon isn't going after another degree, just some classes. We decided that going to the local community college downtown, near Jon's work office, was the place to start. Once he got his basic requirements out of the way, he will attend an Oklahoma public university that has a satellite campus in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma- a 20 ish minute drive away from our house. We've already been in contact with them and they have informed us that whatever credits Jon takes at the community college will be accepted, no problem. Both of these options won't cause us a lot of financial distress even when you take getting books into account. Jon's father has even offered to chip in for some expenditures if need be.

So we are good to go! I'm so, so excited and nervous about this. It is about time that we start taking the steps to being productive adults! This process will take probably up to a year and a half as Jon has to, obviously, get the requirements and then take the grueling exam and pass that. I think he's up for it, as Jon is not one to commit lightly to anything. I'm hopeful that this won't be too difficult of a journey, and that cutting back on my after school piano lessons will help us during this 'phase'. I may even have to cut back more, but, we're going to see how things go through December and go from there. But hey, nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?

Anywho, that's the big exciting news that I was holding back. Wish us, mainly Jon, lots of luck! School starts next week!!

Lazy Sunday Finds

2011-08-15T12:33:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I spent the majority of my day on the couch. It wasn't planned that way, it just happened. I know, I know... we've heard this before, right? Well, I promise, this time it was for a good reason. Promise. See, Saturday I finally went to a yoga class with Jon. It was fan-freakin'-tastic! We were both so mellow, we were practically catatonic. It didn't last long as I agreed to help out at a sleep over that evening. A sleep over that involved five tweens and two teenagers. What was I thinking??

So between extreme sleep-deprivation and soreness, oh and a nasty case of PMS, I spent most of my time bonding to my sofa. I needed to clean, help purge and organize the office, etc etc but, instead I surfed the internet and found some fun websites and a very thought provoking article. And of course, I must share with you all because I love you THAT much! Sharing is caring after all.

Seductively French- A website and business started by a woman from Arizona who loves all things French. Dangerously beautiful things to look at.

My French Country Home- Noticing the French theme? This is a blog of a UK expat, married to a Frenchman, living in the country, fixing up her home, garden, cooking, going to brocants, and sharing all of what she sees and does via gorgeous photography. Her garden has actually inspired me to work on our yard and lack of garden; even Jon loves the look of her garden and we've agreed to use it as a template for our home. I'm actually excited and have recruited a friend to help me get the beds ready for spring when fall sets in. If you know me, I rarely get excited by yard work- as in hardly ever. I blame years of weeding flower beds that never looked beautiful, so, what was the point?

Moving Abroad. The Cons- Technically published today, but, it fits with Sunday stuff so there. Jon and I have been talking a lot about future plans and what not (post about those little gems coming soon), and of course, I love the thought of moving abroad for a little bit and have been throwing that idea out quite a bit. He's a bit more hesitant, which I understand after reading expat blogs and experiencing being a foreigner living in Japan. That article explains what could go wrong with a move abroad, especially a poorly planned one. I wonder what my expat blog friends think though. Is this article spot on? Are they missing something? Are they unjustly demonizing expatriation? Please share your thoughts! I'm eager to hear them.

Alrighty, I'm off to be productive! So much to get ready before school starts and I'm working full time hours again. Does it ever end?? Love you guys and hope all is well where you're at!! Ta ta!*

*I can't believe I just typed, 'Ta, ta!' on my blog. It feels so wrong, yet, what else was I going to type? So conflicting... ;-)

It's HOT

2011-08-09T10:28:00.004-05:00

The remnants of our lawn. This photo has NOT been altered, it really looks like that.

Last year I had an entry griping about the hot weather and how it, plus my non-airconditioned tank (ie my old car), led to a bout of heat exhaustion. Well, last year's summer weather seems mild compared to this summer. It has been hot, and I mean HOT! That last sentence is an understatement, and you'll know why in a moment.

How hot you ask? Take a gander at this article. Oklahoma has had the hottest July ever on record, no, not just for the state, but, for the whole US of A. Now, I know my freezing friends in parts of Europe would like some of this warmth, and I get that. But, believe me when I say, you do NOT want this kind of heat. It's dangerous and miserable. There's nothing about temps over 110° to enjoy. I've had to limit the amount of time the dogs are outside, take Leo on alternative routes to get into the car because the parking lots are so hot his paws could get burned. Sometimes it takes 30 minutes to an hour (depending on if there are stops or not) to cool off the car. I drink up to two liters of water a day, especially if I have dance or have errands to run. I've even had to resort to closing the doors around the house to help keep the front room cool at the hottest time of day when the sun is beating down on the west side of the home and that particular room; usually the room would warm up three degrees if I didn't take this step. Do I even need to go into how beyond grateful I am that I bought a new car that has a/c right before this hot summer started? Yeah, didn't think so!

Last spring, Jon and I were talking about fixing up the lawn and the garden beds, but, time got away from us and it never happened. I was frustrated about that, but, now I'm SO glad we didn't do a damn thing. Yes, our yard is a major disaster, the lawn is dead despite seeding, fertilizing, and having the sprinkler system going three times a day. No worries, a couple of weeks ago we called it's time of death, and started conserving water. We wouldn't have been able to save any new plants and flowers, and I'm glad we didn't end up losing the time and money. Sad, but, true.

Fortunately, there's an end in sight. Today the temperatures could stay under a hundred and tomorrow promises a storm and cooler temps. Many Facebook statuses have been anticipating the sweaters needed for low 90° highs. The nice part about a sweltering summer is the fact it will end at some point. And I'm trying all I can to repeat that to myself and not be so frustrated, annoyed, etc with this heat.

Well Poop

2011-08-05T19:07:00.002-05:00

I went back to my amazing opthamologist today for a check-up. My vision hasn't gotten dramatically better, nor worse, since I last saw him in May so I figured things were probably kosher in my defunct eye. I go in, get my crazy eyes on (ie dilated), and wait for the doc to show up. It's always busy there and so I knew it'd be a wait. No big. He comes in and starts looking at my eyes. The right one is looking good, the retina is still a bit swollen, and a cataract has formed, which we knew would happen, but, all in all a good report.

Then he takes a gander at my left eye, which is now my 'strong' good vision out of eye. He notices that I do have some pretty good lattice degeneration going on in there. I'm thinking, "Ok, is this a problem?" and well, yeah it kinda is. Normally, this eye disease is simply monitored. If a hole and/or tear begins to form then they go in with a laser to fix things. Often, this eye disease does NOT lead to a retinal detachment in most patients; and as Wiki so kindly informed me only 40% of patients with retinal detachment have this issue, which is surprising to me, I figured it'd be higher. As my other eye had the same degeneration and we all know what that led to. So, my doc gives me the option of surgery to laser the weak tissues so as to anchor them in place and ideally prevent detachment. But, of course, there's a catch. There's always a catch...

The surgery would not guarantee my retina in my left eye will not detach; in fact, it could lead to a detachment if my surgeon were to miss a 'weak spot' that wasn't obvious to him during the surgery. That said if we were to leave my eye be and just watch and wait, I could get a detachment as, obviously, these things tend to happen- with me. So there ya have it. FUN

My surgeon said it's optional right now and I'm inclined to wait, at least for a little bit, before diving on into surgery. It's not ideal, but, I don't want to risk having two surgeries in one eye! We already have to go there with my right one, and it's not as if having eye surgery is a 'have four eye operations and get the fifth one free' sort of deal. Good news is, I am far more educated about the signs of retinal problems now. If anything at all were to go amiss, I know to contact my doc immediately.

Here's to hoping my eye will just stay the way it is, at least, for now and if it decides to go, well, let's pray we get to it before my retina detaches. Fingers crossed on this one!

I Giggled

2011-08-03T15:41:00.003-05:00

Follow this link to view this video of Matt Damon telling off a reporter and cameraman from a Libertarian organization during a rally for education earlier this week. I laughed, a lot, and even cheered. Keep in mind tenure for teachers most definitely has some issues and yes, there are some bad teachers out there no doubt. What I love about Matt's response though, is that he points out tenure isn't the issue and the problem with the US education system is actually a multitude of complex problems. LOVE IT! And it's cool that Matt Damon's mom is a teacher and he was sticking up for her, and the multitude of great teachers out there who spend countless hours and their own money to try to educate children despite a broken system. Bravo, Matt... bravo.

We'll be back to our regularly scheduled program of the ongoing 'Great Purge and Reorganization Fest of 2011' soon. I know you guys are excited!! ;-)

My Messy [Current] Reality

2011-08-01T20:55:00.006-05:00

Here are the promised pictures of what purging and reorganizing has been like around chez moi. I'm not going to type much because I just got back from my first Irish dance class in a month, so, I'm a wee bit... oh how do you say... out of it!

Enjoy!

Of course, where there are bags and boxes and rustling of items, there must be a cat in the middle of it all. Tibby obviously doesn't see a problem with this, and I failed to negotiate a border treaty with him. Ah well, at least he was cute about it!

I managed to consolidate four file folders into two, numerous college binders into one, and so on and so forth. I felt the rainforest sob, I did. Thank goodness for recycling to ease my guilt.

Today's effort resulted in about a hundred dollars worth of pots and pans to donate (there are more bags and boxes btw). The shelves have more room and are cleaner to boot. Can I hear an 'HALLELUJAH!!"?

The result of Jon's efforts in the garage, and my clearing of baskets, folders, one closet, and three large tubs. The garbage men are going to HATE us...

We're going to need a [MUCH] bigger bin.

Chipping Away

2011-07-31T20:01:00.003-05:00

The great reorganization fest of 2011 has begun. A day late, but, things are rolling along.

Initially I was going to sort through just the tubs I received from my brother. But, Jon caught the bug and started going through the garage yesterday. Unfortunately, he stepped on a nail and it punctured his foot (after going through his shoe), so, a visit to Urgent Care was called for. Jon got a tetanus shot, a prescription for anti-biotics, and we were good to go. Poor thing needed to take it easy for the rest of the day, so 'difficult' for him to do especially after working hard in a hot garage. ;-)

Since Jon started to go through everything in the garage I decided to talk to him, today, about going through more than just the tubs of old stuff I've acquired. I wasn't sure he'd go for a mass purge of junk as he comes from a looooong line of pack rats from both sides of his family. In the end, much to my relief and surprise, he agreed that we will go through the entire house, top to bottom, shed the unnecessary, and reorganize everything else. We've never sorted through stuff, though I have sorted my clothes and donated some every now and then. With Jon's mild hoarding tendencies, my old crap that landed a month ago we really do need to organize and sluff off the junk that serves no other purpose than to accumulate dust. Oh yeah... It's time. Time to let go of the old stuff that holds no more meaning, put away the things that do, and clear some space for new things.

Pictures coming soon of this process. It's going to get a bit messy, literally, but, I can't wait to see the finished product!

News On The Horizon?

2011-07-29T10:10:00.004-05:00

You guys haven't had a reminder of the cuteness I'm surrounded by everyday. Here you go. You're welcome.

How can it be, that in a few days, I have done so little, yet so much has happened? I'm almost disoriented by it all. Good stuff seems to be happening folks. I'm not at liberty to share all, but, I'll at least clue you in. Jon may have finally found an area of law he'd love to work in and would be great at. As in, he actually is motivated about something and is will to pursue it. This. is. HUGE. He has spent three years with his current firm and lately has acknowledge the lack of satisfaction he gets from it. I could've told you that two years ago, but, he's come to this realization and may just be on the verge of taking a leap of faith and go after something he wants to do.

I'm thrilled, to put it mildly. I hope I can share more with you all soon!

In the meantime, I have been offered to head up a couple of volunteer positions with my Irish dance studio I shamelessly promoted the other day. I will help take and archive photos, run a private share page for the school, and put together a yearbook at the end of this year. I'm also looking at helping out with some public relations stuff- can we say COOL!?!

I'm also on the verge of making some big scheduling decisions. First, I need to hear back what my school schedule is officially (yes, I'm still waiting to hear about that!) but I have decided to cut back on my private lesson hours. The last two-thirds of the school year I worked from 8am-6pm, four days per week, with children, on top of caring for Leo's needs, all of which made for long and draining days. Too long and much too draining. I need more time during the work week to decompress and do things around the house and practice. And if Jon is going to do what I'm thinking he'll do and I'm helping with my dance studio that extra time is all the more precious.

That's where my life stands at this point. The week has been crazy, but, exciting. Many things aren't set yet, but, I'm keeping my head up, working to get things settled and organized around the house, and bracing for new and wonderful things. I can't wait to share more with you guys soon. Say a prayer, send good vibes, thoughts or whatever you want that it all works out please! Thanks in advance!

Le Sigh

2011-07-25T14:50:00.002-05:00

Chaos and nostalgia and an allergy nightmare

I knew it was going to come to this... one day. I could deny it all I want, stuff away stuff in storage, but, you can't get rid of it until you actually do. About three weeks back my brother came to visit. He was driving into Tulsa from my parents home that is the middle of nowhere Oklahoma. He said he had some of my stuff and I was a little overwhelmed at the thought of getting some items back.

Overwhelmed didn't begin to cover it when he brought nine large plastic tubs [seen above when I first began this sorting process] of stuff I left behind when the mutual disownment between me and my parents occurred. I sorted through the mold infested boxes pulling out precious photos, stuffed animals, and old schoolwork. These items are priceless to me and one day I will have to put them in some kind of scrapbook. That's some ways away though. The daunting task before me is to sort through everything, donate what is salvageable, throw away what is covered in mold (and there is a LOT), and safely store away anything else I find of value.

I would rather just throw these tubs into the garage storage and forget about them. However, I realize that that maneuver wouldn't really solve the problem. I hate, hate sorting through stuff, much less stuff from a life I left behind, but, if I don't do it now it'll sit there, getting grosser, and in the end it'll need to be done one way or another. It will be emotional, but, hopefully it'll be a good catharsis too.

My upcoming weekend is dedicated to sorting, organizing, and hopefully getting rid of the all this stuff that is taking up space. If this sounds like I'm trying to pump myself up about this, you're totally right. I'm also hoping that maybe Jon will be inspired to go through his 15 year old t-shirts and donate them. That maybe stretching it though. If you don't hear from me in a couple of weeks though assume the stuff got the better of me and we had to call the producers of "Hoarding Buried Alive" to stage an intervention.

Usually I Don't Ask These Things...But....

2011-07-23T15:42:00.002-05:00

Hey all! My little Irish dance school has a new website and has a Facebook like icon on it. If you are cool with it, please click on that so we can finally get on the top of the Google search for Irish dance schools in Tulsa. Pretty please? Also, I took a bunch of the pictures on this site, so you'd be liking me too in a way. ;-) Thanks a million!!

The Goode Academy of Irish Dance Site

Rotting My Brain With Reality [TV]

2011-07-21T10:58:00.004-05:00

I'm house-sitting this week, the same house and dog I watched back in March. I'm enjoying the change of scenery, the pool, and relaxing. However, I do miss the lack of streaming Netflix, and ok the dogs...oh and Jon, of course. ;-) So, I've been going through the cable here recording various reality tv shows that I don't get around to watching at my own place thanks to Netflix and our dvr recordings provide more than enough 'quality' entertainment.

As I watch some of these reality shows I am coming to the realization that reality television is like candy or a really large bag of salt and vinegar potato chips. One is not enough. And once you get started it's hard to stop!

I will give you the list of what I'm watching and tell you about the specific effects it is having on me. Warning, this may seem more like a confession or stuff I'd be better off talking to a therapist about. Are you all up to the job?

'Cake Boss': I actually saw this guy at a Food Network Cake Challenge that was filming the Tulsa State Fair. I could actually find myself when that episode aired, which was pretty cool. Anyway, this guy makes amazing cakes, runs a bakery that has pastries left and right. Serious yum. Watching a couple episodes of this show make me want to run to the pantry and get some sweet treats. So, not only am I worrying about my brain rotting away, but, I am working hard on not letting my teeth rot as well!

'Say Yes to the Dress': Ohhhhhh man I knew it was NOT a good thing to click on this show on the guide menu. Jon and I have been talking about the big M and starting our lives together. As a little girl I obsessed over getting married and the wedding, but, as I aged I became a LOT more cautious about tying the knot. So, I watch this show and see these beautiful gowns, the stories, the ceremonies, think about Jon and I going to the chapel, and now I'm on Kleinfeld Bridal's Website looking at these extraordinary gowns and getting ideas. No good can come of this, can it?

'Dance Moms': Mothers who are living through their child's competitive dance careers, a large demanding dance teacher who will do whatever it takes to win, snide remarks, bitchiness to the tenth degree... This show is horrid to watch and yet I'm riveted. I know it does not represent the dance culture as a whole, but, I will say watching these women (some way, way worse than others) tear one another down, complain about the hours their kids are working (yet they keep coming back for more), all make me feel better about being an Irish dancer and our competition culture. We all like to feel a bit superior don't we? lol And now I feel as if I need to go to confession for saying that. Ugh.

'Toddlers & Tiaras': Little girls, fake tans, teased hair, competitive mothers, pageants and enough rhinestones to make a raccoon have a seizure. Need I say more to what I'm loosing in brain matter to this show? I didn't think so.

'Dog the Bounty Hunter': This is a guilty pleasure. I mean, people who were in jail, turned their lives around, began hunting down criminals, and are very successful at it. Only in America!! I don't have any guilty feelings though when I watch this show. I'm thinking this is probably a problem... a big problem.

'House Hunters International': Can we saying living vicariously through others? This makes my desire to move abroad stronger. It'll happen one day!! In the meantime I watch this show and think, "Oh wouldn't it be nice to be in Slovenia?? Paris? Italy? Ireland?' so on and so on. I could waste a lot of time dreaming thanks to this show!

And there you have it. The list of my sinful indulgences. Hopefully, by next week when I'm back at home, actual reality will set in and I will be cleansed of these thoughts from my multiple 'transgressions'. But, surely, it won't hurt to watch one or two of these on occasion will it? ;-)

Floating Misadventures

2011-07-18T09:40:00.003-05:00

Saturday was my very first, official, float trip. Floating is a very popular pastime here in the OK, that and going to the lake. What we lack in oceanfront we make up with rivers and man made lakes. That's just how we roll in this land locked state. Essentially, when you float down the river (usually the Illinois) you go with friends, grab a cooler or two filled with beverages of your choice, water, and food, rent a raft, and basically sit in said raft, let if float down the river, paddle when need be, and drink beer and chat with friends. I have never been on a float trip, which is a travesty as I've lived here since I was 11 years old. So you can imagine how excited I was about actually participating in this beloved Okie pastime.

Saturday morning at about 6:30am Jon and I grabbed breakfast at Whataburger (their sausage, cheese, and egg biscuit sandwich is SO tasty), filled the Prius up at Quiktrip, and headed southeast to Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Nearly an hour and a half later, we arrived at one of the many places you can go to rent a raft, and met two other friends there. As the excitement builds, and builds for me Jon goes in to rent a raft and promptly walks back and says they have rented out ALL of their raft. It's not even 8:30am and they're out.

Crap.

Turns out it's good to have a reservation. These can be easily arranged online or by phone. But, did Jon or my other friend who's been floating loads of times think of this? Oh of course not! So we drive to three different places, each completely rented out. The fourth place we went to had a raft, but, only took cash. We get in our cars to look for someplace with an ATM. Five minutes into this search I asked Jon if they took checks, he replied that they do. Then I told him I had his checkbook in my purse. D'oh! So we call, turn around, and head back. At this point I was ready to scream, but, I chilled out. We got on the river about an hour and fifteen minutes after we planned, but, we were going and that's all that mattered. Or so I thought.

I had to be back in Tulsa by 3pm, 4pm at the latest, to feed the dog I'm watching while I housesit. This we all knew and my friend assured me we'd be done floating the seven miles by no later than 2pm. Mind you we didn't have a watch, which caused a few problems later on. I was really enjoying floating until we asked someone what time it was and they told us it was 1:07pm and we were far from the end of our river trek.

My manic control issues took the front seat then and I was begging everyone to help me paddle to speed things up. This wasn't objected to except by one, a great guy friend, who had one (okay more like three or four if not more) too many, and didn't want to be rushed. See the thing with floating at this time of year is it is HOT. Right now, we've been suffering from extreme +100 degree temps for the better part of three weeks with no end in sight. Worst heatwave since 1980 from what I've been told. That's how it is in Oklahoma, worst blizzard ever late winter, worst heatwave in thirty years in the summer. Our weather is bi-polar medicated with stimulants. Anyways, back to my friend. He usually can handle his beer, but, when it's THAT hot it hits your harder and faster. I stopped drinking around noon as I had to drive Jon and I back to Tulsa. But, my friend, he didn't stop drinking, nor did he really eat, nor did he work to stay somewhat hydrated. A deadly trifecta that resulted in his belligerence to my need to get back to my house/dog sitting duties.

Fabulous

Jon, me, and drunk friend's girlfriend all begin to paddle. It was getting hotter, the river was filling with more people who had nothing but time and an endless supply of alcohol. I shouldn't have been paddling as my burned hand is still recovering, but, I sucked it up and paddled away. Oh, should I mention that I'm horrible at any activity involving the need to row? I flipped a canoe over in summer camp once as a kid and decided I really shouldn't pursue a career nor hobby involving paddles and water. We went in circles, floated sideways, but, eventually we got a rhythm going, only to get stopped by a raft in front of us or my drunk friend doing something to slow us down. At this point, floating was not so much fun and I and the rest of the sober crew were getting extremely upset by the minute.

We finally got to the end of the seven mile course and to our cars. Water and pedialyte were immediately consumed, as it was HOT and I believe I sweated off nearly all my water weight. My drunk friend and his veeerrrryyyy ticked off girlfriend got in their car and Jon and I headed out without saying much to our friends. It was past 3pm and that was hauling it towards the end, imagine if we hadn't paddled at all. An employee at the raft rental place mentioned the float trips can take up to twice as long to complete when the river levels are lower due to the summer heat. Good to know! (I hope you can hear my dripping sarcasm- it's quite potent)

I made it back to Tulsa a quarter after four, yes, I was speeding, and the dog was quite grateful to get outside and do her business, not to mention getting fed. I have decided that while the last hour and a half or so really, really sucked overall I like floating. I mean your hanging out with friends, surrounded by water and neat scenery, eating and drinking to your hearts content (but, within reason or it is not fun) so what's not to like? That said, I think next time we'll a)Call ahead to reserve a raft b) In doing this head out earlier when it is cooler and less crowded c) I will NOT make any plans on the chosen day of floating and d) Get drunk friend's sister to come with us to threaten drunk friend with telling on him to their mother. Childish? Maybe. But, after going through the whole list of what not to do on a float trip I'm willing to concede that a little policing by a sibling maybe necessary to ensure a smooth float trip.

Lessons learned!!

Hard Work

2011-07-14T22:24:00.004-05:00

Dancers practicing in Nashville during the Irish dance Nationals earlier this July. I love this shot. This is what working hard looks like. I saw so much of that during my five days in Tennessee, it really blew my mind. The dedication, the discipline, the amazing dancing... that's what goes into one's few meager minutes on stage at a major competition like this.

And that is why I've begun practicing until my feet can't take it anymore! More pictures to come!

So I Did Something Stupid...

2011-07-12T21:17:00.003-05:00

Gotta love the comically large thumb there.

Six days ago, my last day in Nashville, I was in a bit of a blind rush. I needed to get everything in my room packed up, get ready for my day, get ready to leave Nashville, and get to my friend's competition by 9am. All was going well at 8:30am, until I reached for my curling iron. Normally, that action wouldn't be anything to write about, but, I didn't grab my curling iron in the 'non-interesting' way. I grabbed my curling iron on the hot end (obviously I wasn't looking). The hot end that was set at 450°. Yeah big a** whoops there!

Some of my burned skin, six days later. It looks a bit freakish.

So you all can imagine the scream, the tears, the running mascara, the tremendous pain, and the panic that came with all of that (and the amount of one handed last minute packing that I had no choice but to do). Fortunately, I had the state of mind to grab the aloe Lidocaine burn spray can and spray it all over my burned hand. I was also fortunate to be able to see my teacher's mother, an ER doctor who gave me great advice, and a medic was on staff at the resort hotel with the oh so miraculous silvadeen which he generously slathered all over the burn on my palm and the multiple burns on my fingers. I also had some anti-biotic ointment with numbing analgesics in it to keep the pain at bay (for the most part) during the 10 hour ride home. I have been pretty uncomfortable since that whole ordeal, but, thanks to some clarity of mind and better living through chemistry the moment it happened, things could have been a lot worse. I've had blisters, swelling, and the freakish loss of the lines on my thumbprint (the thumb got the worse of it) and on my fingers. But, I am healing and should be right as rain soon enough.

Just remember, it could always be worse! ;-)

Irish Dancers Kick- Even on The Fourth

2011-07-04T12:29:00.004-05:00

Okay so technically speaking these pictures were taken yesterday, but, there's a lot of dancing going on today, and the kick and 4th title seemed fun, so I rolled with it. Yesterday I, along with my dance friends, [pictured above] helped to break a world record. 652 dancers in all lined up in a big room, held hands, and did a jig for five minutes. I showed up at the last minute, thinking it was over, and managed to get there just in time! Dancing that long on concrete really stinks, especially in bare feet, but, it was to break a record and now I have that as a bragging right. Go me!

I don't know who the guy next to me was, but, look at his kick! I did get a spray tan by the way; it's impossible for me to look like that without chemicals and space age technology. I figured it would be better for all if I had a tan when I wear my swimsuit here. I don't want to blind everyone! It's vain, I know, but, don't judge me. Us pale people gotta do something to blend in with the general population. Especially, when the majority of that population are spray tanned as well, bouncing around in wigs. It's an Irish dance thing.
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Hope everyone is having a fun and safe Fourth of July!!

A Universal Truth

2011-07-03T16:15:00.003-05:00

If there is a suitcase anywhere in the house, with or without stuff in it, a cat will find it and be in it. This is a scientific fact. At least, it should be.

I'm in Nashville watching and photographing my friends as they get ready to dance at the Irish dance North American Nationals. This competition is HUGE folks. I've literally rubbed elbows with at least three world champions and have seen some amazing dancing. More pictures to come!

My Job as a Roller Coaster Ride - Sans the Puke

2011-06-22T09:25:00.004-05:00

Thank you, knowledgerush.com for the accurate depiction!

I am not here to discuss how working at a school with low-income, high risk kids can be a crazy ride from day to day. I think I've covered that sufficiently with at least one entry per month mentioning that. lol No, what I'm about to tell you is the craziness that is working for a local public school system here in the OK. Fair warning, this will be a bit lengthy and has plenty of twists and turns. Hope you can keep up!

While I do not have the statistics on hand, let's just say that Oklahoma is ranked pretty stinkin' low compared to most of the states when it comes to funding the schools, paying our teachers, etc. So it came as no surprise that my employer had to reorganize their district to try and save money. Plans were discussed, town hall-esque meetings were held, and teachers and staff held their breath. The plans came out and the school I work for was safe. We were going to add another grade, but, we would be able to retain everyone. Phew!

But, unfortunately the feeling of relief did not last long. Soon we were told all support staff who was hired this past school year would be given non-renewal notices; the district cuts people according to time served as opposed to who the principal believes need to go. I get it, but, it does stink as I was one of those employees who received said notice. My principal reassured me this happens all the time, staff is told they're getting cut because Title 1 allotments are always changing. So, while I was nervous, I trusted my principal and everyone else's past experiences. My boss also reassured me if she couldn't get me back as a para, she would do everything in her power to get me back as a teacher's assistant.

THEN the last day of the school year comes and teachers are then told our school has to cut six 1/2 positions!!! The reason? The reorganization plan that was approved messed up the redistricting. Some students were going, some were staying, but, overall the numbers were HUGE mess. I was sad for the teachers, but, also even more worried about getting a new job. Fortunately, they were able to save positions because my school insisted that the lines were looked at closer to give a more accurate list of how many students we were going to have for 2011-2012. To add to the mess, however, there were calls about cutting the TAs who had been there for awhile. It's a good thing I don't bite my nails, because I wouldn't have any nails left!!

You think it's over right? Ohhhhhhhh no, no, no. The state legislature passed a bill that basically cut funding to public schools (mainly to primary education, naturally the universities of this state were left alone.). The district, who had just implemented a new program to save money, now faced cutbacks. So, the funding to special education programs were cut.* Forty para positions were part of the cuts. At this point, my chances of gainful employment with my school looked very dismal.

Fast forward to last night, my principal called me. I was teaching a piano lesson at the time, so, I had to call her back. I was nervous, and being me, I kept thinking it was bad news. I mean can you blame me in light of all the crap that has happened? After playing phone tag, and waiting nervously for over two hours, my principal and I talked. She has a teaching assistant position open and wanted to know if I would accept! I naturally said, 'HELL YES!' Ok so maybe I didn't say that specifically, but, I accepted. I know being a para has more clout, technically, but, with how things work at my school it would be essentially the same job. Bouncing from room to room helping in any way that I can.

I know, it's one crazy set up. I love my job as I do feel I am making a difference for children. However, by no means will I be doing this forever. I'm grateful though that I will have this experience to learn from and use for what I may do in the future. I am also grateful to have steady income and insurance!! It has been a crazy roller coaster ride working for the public school system this past school year and I think I could write a short book on my observations and thoughts about what I've seen this year. Here's to another school year, working hard to teach children who have to traverse the odds of their situation and to survive budget cuts.

*Don't get me started on how tricky this is legally and ethically. Blogspot would shut down with what I could say about this!!

Dog Days of Summer

2011-06-21T10:15:00.005-05:00

I don't know who's enjoying summer more, me who's getting more sleep and dance time in, or the boys who can't manage to leave each other alone for five minutes. The answer is alluding me. You decide!

Happy First Day of Summer Everyone!

Not the Post I Intended to Write Today

2011-06-17T13:58:00.004-05:00

Warning: This post will contain some ranting and sentences that may not make a whole lot of sense and loads of sarcasm.

Last night Jon informed me that a relative of his would be having a birthday celebration Friday evening at a local Mexican restaurant. I told him to double check that Leo's presence would be no biggie, figuring it wouldn't, but, I didn't want anyone to be surprised that I brought him. A little background info before I continue: Jon has had mega weirdness when it comes to taking Leo to restaurants when it involves joining members of his family. His father to be exact is the source of this; he's old and tends to be predictably unpredictable. He can be fine one minute, the next he'll be cranky. Jon's concern about his father's behavior has been a sore spot, especially in regards to Leo going to restaurants. That has really drove me crazy and only recently has Jon has begun to get over it.

Now this relative has met Leo, knows he has worked with me at the elementary school, has heard many stories of his accomplishments while working in public, etc, etc. So imagine my surprise when said kinfolk texted back say they were concerned about Leo being at this restaurant because of a) Jon's father (shocker I know!) and b) that this particular Mexican restaurant, with it's more 'authentic' staff if you will wouldn't understand that Leo is okay to be in the restaurant, so they'd rather me not bring him.

SAY WHAAA???

Jon explained that Leo has been out to many restaurants including Mexican ones without a problem, but, no dice. They are too hung up about those assumptions and so I've decided I'm not going to even bother going tonight. I realize how b*tchy that is of me, but, I'm really tired of Jon's family, and/or concerns they have, prohibiting Leo's training. The assumptions are prejudice and unfounded- like really have any of them been in public training a service dog?? You'd think my personal experiences working with Leo would have some weight here, but, apparently not. To be quite frank, Leo and other service dogs (in training or partnered) would be better behaved and not nearly as loud nor messy as most kids. I know, because I was one of those kids who was loud and not so neat about eating my food. Leo on the other hand settles in his spot, leaves food alone (even if it is on the floor), and takes a long nap. Yes, it'd be SO horrible and unnerving to have such a dog around in a restaurant!

I'm in a grouchy mood because of this. I have worked really hard with Leo and I feel that this is a slap in the face. No acknowledgement of Leo's need for experience and our work together; just baseless assumptions. The restaurant would likely be fine about a service dog being there, and if they were to cause trouble a simple call to Therapetics would bring down calls from lawyers and even a visit from the police. I seriously doubt it would EVER get that far with though. Oh, and let's not get started on how that a Mexican owned restaurant wouldn't understand is kinda racist. I mean COME ON! In regards to Jon's father, well, he's never been given the chance to show if he's okay with Leo or not- Jon's paranoia has caused me to leave Leo at home on several occasions. Quite frankly, I'm sick of it now! I have six months left with Leo and I refuse to leave Leo at home based on these fears! He needs the experience and it is my responsibility to him and to his partner to get him these experiences and train him the best I can.

So I say screw 'em. I'll stay home, surf the Internet, pour myself some tequila, and keep Leo and Louie company. Seems like a better way to spend my time!

All Leo, All the Time

2011-06-13T10:55:00.007-05:00

That's my Leo! He's so tolerant of the camera.

Let's face it, there can never be enough pictures of Leo right? As far as his training goes, Leo is doing a great job. I am SO proud of his progress. There's always something else to work on, but, he's doing his tasks well, walking on a loose leash, chilling out at restaurants, etc. Right now his biggest problem is that he's bored! As we're not going to school every weekday we're doing a whole lot of nothing between errand running and the private lessons I teach. Guess there are worse problems to have huh?

One of the fun experiences we had together was going to the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial Site and Museum as well as the Capitol Building with all the fourth grade classes. It was so much fun, even if I had to wake up at 5am and didn't get home until 7pm. Here are some pictures taken by my teacher friend during that day. She has more, but, hasn't given me a disc of them yet, so I just downloaded the ones she posted on Facebook (hence the not so fab quality).

On the bus to OKC. Leo handled the bus like a pro. And how I was able to smile despite the sleep deprivation is nothing short of amazing. Leo on the other hand is a poser. He sees a camera lens pointed at him and he gives the best expressions. I'm so proud he's picked up on that without me having to train it in him.

Leo and I in the Oklahoma Supreme Courtroom. We were given a tour by a local representative which was so cool. You can tell that Leo is pretty wiped out at this point, but, he didn't complain. He just napped at every opportunity. lol

I think this photo is pretty self-explanatory. We were SO tired after all of that activity!! The trip was fantastic though, the bombing memorial and museum brought back a lot of memories for me (I was in 7th grade when it happened) and I was struck at how intensely I remembered the emotions of that time. The moment that was the most emotionally intense, was when we listened to a survivor tell us her story. It was very hard not to cry, but, this woman was so positive about what happened to her. She even visited with Leo which was such an honor for us! Too bad my camera was out of commission. Ah well, we have those memories and the pictures that serve as a reminder of our adventures together.

Leo has his year and a half evaluation this week. I can't believe we only have six months left until he's partnered. I hope to make every moment count and give him enough love and great experiences to get him set for his future partner. I just can't help but think I'm the lucky one though. If it weren't for Leo's training I wouldn't have all these wonderful memories, I wouldn't have benefited from learning how to train him (I've learned to have more patience than I ever thought I could have!), and I wouldn't have been able to help people and students who have benefited from interacting with Leo.

Alright, I better stop gushing before I'm in tears. ;-)

Ch-ch-changes!

2011-06-07T19:36:00.004-05:00

One of the major 'events' during my blog absence was the purchase of a brand new car- for ME! I'm sorry I don't have a picture of it right now, the camera lens I bought on Amazon was the wrong type (my mistake). But, the picture above gives you an idea. I got a black Toyota Yaris, two doors just like the one above. It's shiny, and still has that new car smell!

I hated the idea of having to make a car payment as I don't like the thought of being in debt. I already owe part of my soul in college loans thank you very much. However, problems with my old Buick were numerous. So numerous and severe it would have cost more to get it up to snuff than the car was worth. Add another summer without a/c in the car, and that Leo was going to be with me far more, I knew that my options were limited. Jon and I talked about it and agreed to look at a new car, one with a warranty, one that would be reliable, gas efficient, etc, etc. So one Friday evening we beboped on over to a dealership to test drive a Yaris.

Mind you I was SO nervous about going to a dealership to buy a car. I come from a car family. My father pretty much pounded the idea in my head that car salesmen will try to give you the shaft. I am beyond happy to report, however, that I did not have to battle it out with the salesman. In fact he was uber nice, the car was perfect, and finance was willing to give me a very nice, reasonable deal. I bought it the next day. I got all the extra coverage I could as paying a little extra per month for peace of mind is worth it! Oh, did I mention the dealership let me bring both Leo and Louie (who's a pet so, he doesn't have the carte blanche to be in public like Leo) into the dealership?? I wanted to make sure they could fit inside the car (they do) and they were beyond cool about it. How neat is that?

I've had the car for three weeks now, and I L-O-V-E it!! I bought it just in time for the warm-hot summer temperatures. I love a/c... love it. I seriously think it is one of the best inventions out there. Alright, maybe not the best, but, it sure is NICE! I could really go on, and on, about the a/c ,but, I will spare you all that. ;-) It's really nice to have a good reliable vehicle though, my last car was not going to last much longer. In fact, the dealership gave me a whopping $100 for it! That tells you how much of a ticking time bomb it was. What a relief I'm not in it anymore- not to mention not having to pay nearly as much filling it up with fuel.

Getting that car is a major life win. However, not all events have been a 'win'. Life is funny how it balances things out isn't it? More catching up later guys! I have laundry to get to.

ps- Thanks for the welcome back love! It feels great to be back here.

Guess Who's Back?

2011-06-05T11:25:00.003-05:00

It's me! Taken by Tami, my boss, at the studio recital May 22

Well, it has been awhile hasn't it? I dunno what to say other than I'm sorry I haven't been around. There really is no excuse. The only explaination for my absence is that the last month of work was I N S A N E! Add running to two jobs five days per week and other various sundry life stuff equaled me being exhausted nearly every day. The drain on my energy left me unable to form proper sentences at times. It was sad really lol, but, I just knew I was too tired to write about what was going on. I'm sure my entries would've made very little sense as I couldn't really think after I got home from work.

Now that summer vacation has started (can we say YAY!!!!!) I'm slowly coming around. I miss my blog friends and sharing what's going on in our lives. Rather than give you all one huge blog entry about what has been going on (and there has been a LOT!) I'm going to break it up and spread it across a few entries. How does that sound?

So, my dear awesome blog friends you'll be seeing more of me I promise. Again, I'm so sorry I abandoned you and I will do everything in my power to catch you all up and be a better friend to you guys. I really have missed you all more than you can know!! Sending each and every one of you some love wherever you are. 'Talk' to you soon!

The Hardest Holiday

2011-05-08T11:26:00.004-05:00

Today is Mother's Day in America as many of you know. Let me start with, I really do admire moms out there, and I can't begin to imagine the hardwork, love, and dedication it takes to raise a child. That said, Mother's Day is the hardest holiday for me as I don't have a mother. Well, technically I do, but, we haven't spoken to one another in seven years. For me, Mother's Day is a reminder of what I don't have- a mother and/or children, so it can be a bit tough for me. And now I found out that my cousin who is struggling with many things in her life is receiving a great deal of emotional support from my mother- the same woman who offered me little when I was going through an extremely difficult period myself. Talk about the proverbial salt in the wound.

So today I salute the good moms out there, the ones I know face whatever challenge their child's life presents them. The moms who support, even when they don't know what to do. The moms who love unconditionally. The moms who give in ways I cannot imagine, because at many trying moments in my life I never saw that from my own mother; especially during the dark hours I needed it most. I'm working on not being bitter, but, life has a funny way of reminding me that I'm not completely over somethings. Well, I guess it's a one step at a time scenario, eh?

I hope you all are having a happy Mother's Day or at least a happy Sunday. I promise my next post won't be such a 'Debbie Downer' one. Love you all!

When It Rains It Pours, Literally and Figuratively

2011-05-01T11:41:00.004-05:00

The weather for the past two weeks here in the OK have been wet and stormy. Before the rain came we were actually experiencing an unusual spring drought. There were wild grass fires all over the state and talk that the wheat harvest wasn't going to make it. Well, Mother Nature woke up and holy crap did we get soaked! Storms have been producing up to golf ball size hail (as my car will testify to) and tornadoes have come. Nothing as bad as Alabama and Mississippi thank goodness. Still, it has been interesting and that's just how it goes in Oklahoma. When it comes to weather, expect the unexpected.

With these storms dumping on us it seems that the universe has decided to dump on people as well. I'm not just talking about me, but, others around me that have been experiencing a wide range of 'life challenges'. At work we've been going through the difficulties of state testing, which we finally finished last Friday praise the Lord! But, along with it we've lost a teacher who resigned out of the blue. Another employee, who's son has a brain tumor, found out that the medicine to keep the tumor from growing after its removal would cost nearly $1000.00 per month. A cost, she obviously cannot afford. Kids have been wild, teachers moody and stressed, have added to the strained environment.

For me, the week hit a huge bottom when the kid who was shadowing me was told by his mother that he wasn't allowed to be around Leo and thus me. She is under the impression that Leo makes his asthma issues worse! Can you believe it? They have a family dog at home, he's been around Leo all year, bonded with him and such and she decides to pull this. She's not thinking of it's spring in Oklahoma and the allergies are horrendous. Yeah, explain that one to me. I was gutted, absolutely gutted. The kid too was very upset. Such an emotional blow for both of us and his teachers who have worked with him and me to build a relationship with him and get him to where he is now. Leo was the ice breaker and has continued to serve a positive role for this student. It maybe unusual to some, but, it has worked brilliantly. Then in one day, it looked like all was gone as we have no choice, but, to obey a parents wish even when it doesn't make sense.

However, there good news came. We managed to resolve the situation somewhat. Mom is now ok with me being in the classroom for a period of time to help out, but, she does want him to stay away from the dog as much as possible. I believe she realizes that her initial statement was inaccurate as her son's asthma acts up majorly when he's outside and active, but, she doesn't want to completely admit to being wrong. Just my humble opinion. What a rollercoaster ride! I'm still on edge though, what if he has an asthma attack again like he had when he didn't take his morning medicine and his mother asks about Leo? I know the whole situation sounds silly, but, we often deal with parents who get something stuck in their head and hold us at this school accountable. We have had more than one angry parent at our school giving us a hard time for situations that their child started. Yet, it's our fault in the end. Most of the time the threats end up empty, but, it goes to show how little respect and authority we're given as educators (by some, not all). It's frustrating and I hope I and the rest of us can make it to the end of the year without too much grief from parents.

There are only 25 school days to go. May is going to get crazy busy. Jon's 30th birthday is tomorrow, there are more birthdays coming soon for both our families, of course the studio recital is coming up, Jon's work is going on a float trip later in May, both of us are volunteering to help out at a Therapetics fundraiser, and the list goes on! I think I'm ready for the flood, but, I just hope it won't exhaust me as much as these past two weeks at work have! Here's to making it through another crazy May!

In Which Reality Crashes the Party... And It's Ok

2011-04-24T19:31:00.004-05:00

State standardized testing began last week and with it came the loss of all my energy. Things are crazy at the school as 3rd-5th grade classes have to be moved around to different classrooms so we can test individuals with learning disabilities and small groups of English language learners. The change in the schedule has caused the children to collectively go 'whhhheeeeeee!' and it takes a lot of extra energy to deal with that. To add to the energy drain I have a shadow now. An emotionally disturbed kid who I've built a good para to student relationship with gets to hang out with me all day and when he has his tests I monitor with his teacher. Without expanding on that, let's just say I have been very mentally and physically drained at the end of each school day.

I last left off with thoughts of going to Europe and needing advice on how to make it happen quick. In retrospect, I should've been a wee bit clearer why the sudden entry. I had a price alert on plane tickets to Paris from a couple of departure points I could get to easily, and when I got an email saying that ticket had dropped to a feasible price my trip, which I had written off due to loss of income (blizzard and surgery), seemed possible again. It seems though I jumped the gun a bit. My accountant came back to me and my 2009 taxes were going to cost me- BIG time! Well, for me big time. Mind you we got things to a much more reasonable level, but, still I have to say bye, bye to some mula.

Then, as if that wasn't jarring enough, I had car expenses come up, a traffic ticket, and I managed to break the camera lens and will need to purchase a new one soon. Yes, right now I can't even take pretty pictures because of my wonky depth perception. Blergh. So, I've taken the Mack truck like hint from the universe and put off my Europe trip plans for now.

I am bummed about this. But, I think things will work out for the best though (sans Europe, but, Europe will still be there!). Jon and I have done a lot of talking and we are going to combine forces taking care of bills and working to save up for a wedding and such. Yeah, that's kinda exciting! lol If what we are planning works I will manage to save, at least, a couple of hundred bucks per month. Jon is looking to get a new job, and while that may not happen for awhile he's coming out of his rut and we are making progress towards starting our lives together.

I've also begun exploring the idea of getting certified to be a teach as it is a easier to do for me because I'm a para with a university degree. Why would I do this? Well, I've figured out that while I do have dreams of being abroad one day, it's some steps away. Nothing seemed right for a reason, I have some steps to go up before I get to that point. If I work as a teacher I make a bit more than I do now (salary is a LOT better than hourly) and get the added benefit of reduced student loan repayment. Mind you, nothing is set in stone right now. Either way, I need to start making some kind of progress towards my future instead of dreaming about the possibilities without rolling the dice to get the game started.

Oh don't get me wrong, I will be traveling in the future. Maybe not when I want to (heh like now), but, it will be soon. It's nice that I've managed to gain a lot of perspective, but, not feel bitter about it. More stuff is going on, but, I think I've babbled on long enough. Man have my entries been long winded lately! lol I hope you are well and if you don't hear from me for another week it's because of those crummy state tests sucking my life force to critically low levels. No matter what though, I will be back, talking about this and that, hopefully taking pictures soon, and soaking up what's going on with you my amazing blog friends.

Travel Tips- As In I Need Them!

2011-04-12T00:00:00.006-05:00

So my dear, wonderful, blogging friends I am in need of your help, advice, or just plain encouragement. I will take whatever I can get. I was planning on a trip to Europe in June. I'm thinking I can still manage to make this trip happen. Things depend on the tax refund. Anywho, I have friends all through France, one in Luxembourg, Switzerland, and Germany. I'd like to visit as many of these fabulous people as possible of course, but, how in the world do I plan for a trip like this?

I should give you all some background here. Though I have traveled some I am practically a virgin when it comes to planning a trip, especially one that could potentially involve train trips after landing. If I am to go, who would want to see me? Where would I buy the train tickets for a reasonable price? How in the world do I go about seeing my friends, but, not burdening them with my inexperience?

So if any of you have some advice to when is a good time to hop over the pond and go to Europe please share. Any information as far as what to expect cost wise (hostels and/or food), where to stay, what train(s) to take, and how to book all of this stuff please pass that my way. I think I can figure out how to get the plane ticket (looks like I'll be landing in Paris) it's just getting those other details figured out that I'm at a loss for. Oh and did I mention I don't even know how to make an itenerary?? Though, I'm sure you all had it figured out by now.

Also, if you wouldn't mind seeing me then please let me know. I'd love to arrange some meet ups!! Go ahead and email me if you're more comfortable with that and be prepared for questions on where to meet up, stay and cost. I'm kinda on a 'shoestring' budget so I want to make sure I have my p's and q's lined up. But, hey, if you are willing to put up with that then have at it. I will bring pretty things from the states too. I promise.

As you can plainly see, I need some serious help! Please give me some input if you are so inclined. I mainly need a starting point to build an outline of what to do and then I'll probably have some questions after that. I'm sorry to bother you with my naievity, but, anything will be a great help. Thanks so much!

The Long Overdue Leo Post

2011-04-10T12:23:00.003-05:00

At the salon, chillin' like a villan. Taken on my iPhone

Sooooo... Leo! I know you all haven't heard much about him lately. But, I assure you he's doing fantastic! Leo will be a year and five months come April 16th and I'm amazed everyday at how far he and I have come along.

As you guys know, Leo goes with me everyday to school and piano lessons. He does extremely well at school. When I don't need him he happily naps or chews on a bone. When I do he is more than ready to do his job. His tasking skills have come leaps and bounds. I can ask him to pick up plastic ware off of the cafeteria floor, carry it, and to drop it in the trashcans. Uber cool. He even leaves food that falls on the floor alone- well, most of the time. Hey, he is a dog first and foremost after all! Other tasks he does easily include, but not excluded, are turning lights on and off, opening drawers, closing them, retrieving and giving me my bag, keys, and anything other items I need him to get off of the floor or tables.

Every week we attend training classes and I'm happy to report those are going along famously. Leo and I have even received compliments from the trainers!! He is now far more consistent with commands and doesn't give in to distractions as much as he used to. I credit age and the fact that we have learned to work as a team. I know how to get his attention and talk to him to get what we need to do done. I am far more patient than I used to be and he understands what I'm saying better than ever. I imagine that is how he and his future partner will develop. There will be many bumps at first, frustrations, but, over time a bond will form and they will 'gel' and become a team.

I have Leo until the end of this year. He will turn two in November and at the point he'll be tested for hip, eye, and elbow problems. If he clears his health checks and does well at his two year evaluation (which I'm pretty sure he will) he will then be partnered at the beginning of 2012. It's a bittersweet thought as Leo has definitely become part of my little 'family' at home and at work and I love him dearly. When one works with a dog hours upon day a relationship develops and you and the dog become connected in a very unique way. I know when Leo leaves home to begin his new life as a full fledged service dog there will be many tears from me. It's going to be hard, I'm under no delusions about that. However, without Leo I would've missed out on amazing opportunities and moments. The kids I work with at school wouldn't have had Leo help to calm them down. I wouldn't have had the dozens of people come up to me and ask me about the program- you never know how that might affect them or someone they know. Without Leo in my life I would've missed out on so much. So, in at least some ways, I will have gained more than what I will loose when Leo goes to his partner.

It's all part of the deal. It's what I signed up for. And I am more than happy to do my part because in the end I'm a better person because of this and someone will have a better life because of this too. Win-win, even if it is a bit heartbreaking in the end.

ps- I will have a better picture of him soon. Technical difficulties with the camera and computer!

The Ups and Downs of Teaching... Condensed Version

2011-04-05T18:25:00.004-05:00

You know it's bad when... The thought that came to me before cafeteria duty as I contemplated the need for a glass of wine- at 11am. By that point I had ridden a bit of a roller coaster ride of emotions teaching in the measly three hours that I had at that point. Add to the fact I kept thinking it was Wednesday my day was made very, very long.

Let me back up. My workday started off great. Reading aptitude tests were administered to the students from my small group that I work with every day as they're quite far behind. They ALL made major improvements! Even the child with mild mental retardation was excelling above and beyond. I was thrilled. In fact, I jumped up and down a couple of times and I'm not supposed to do that with this silly gas bubble that's hanging out in my eye. Oops. But, at the same time how could I not? It was a major milestone for these kids and I was thrilled to be a part of that.

After that class I headed to the room where I help out with the emotionally disturbed kiddo. Mind you I love this kid and Leo and him share a special bond. He's come leaps and bounds since when we first met, but, he still struggles as to be expected. Today he was in a separate classroom taking a benchmark test with another teacher. I was redirected to that room and I sat there for the latter half of his test. Mind you, he hates, HATES tests but I thought that he was doing well despite the fact he was having some struggles.

Well, I was kinda right. He did well in the room with the test, but, once he left that room we couldn't get him back into his normal classroom. I walked around and around the school with him, had to at one point keep him from running away from me. Picture it: I'm in heels, Leo's leash him my left, and the kiddo's arm in my right hand trying desperately to keep him from running, not to grip him too hard (don't wanna risk injury), keep Leo nearby, and try not to fall. It was poetry in motion folks I'm here to tell ya.

-
So after forty-five minutes of working to keep him calm and settle (mind you this is nowhere near his worst) I went to lunch duty. Working to keep calm while keeping a child calm takes immense focus and physical energy. I wanted a nap. Sometimes I wish I was Leo. Oh to curl up on the floor and nap wherever and whenever. Wouldn't that be nice?

Today was just another day in the life of one who teaches. Ups and downs are a natural part of it, but, sometimes I'm surprised with how draining it all can be especially when you have to keep going forth and molding more young minds who may or may not cause you other difficulties. But, hey, at least I get to come home, get in comfy clothes, and pour a nice glass of wine to wind down. Being an adult does indeed have its perks.

Catharsis...aka Long Winded Post Aboout Everything

2011-04-03T10:07:00.006-05:00

Can I be here? Even if it's just in my mind..

This is going to be one of those long entries that start with the thought, "Where do I begin?" So, my dear blogging friends, if you feel the need to skip down to the bottom to see if I have some decent concluding thoughts by all means go ahead. I promise I won't be upset.

Spring has arrived in the OK and I'm feeling it big time. Allergies stink! I've been fighting off a sinus infection and it seems I have the upper hand. Knock on wood! I don't know why or how, but, it's as if my body actually wants to fight things off nowadays. Before, I would have respiratory infections and never run a fever. Yesterday, however, I was running a fever and feeling miserable. I took time out to rest, take some medicine, stay inside away from the allergies, and what do you know I am feeling better today. I'll take it.

With my head and vision clearing my head is full of all the things in my life that have been hanging out in my thoughts. It's as if my brain needs to have some spring cleaning done. There are SO many things that had to be put aside because of this eye ordeal, trying to get back to work, etc. Again, I'm asking myself, "Where do I begin?"

First off, it's good to be back at work. It's tiring, yes, but, I have a renewed sense of purpose. I've even begun entertaining the idea of getting alternatively certified to teach as it wouldn't be as hard due to my experience as a paraprofessional. I'm not entirely sure if I'll go this route or what I'd use it for as I find being a teacher in America a difficult task at best. Don't even start me on a rant about the school systems and whatnot lol. However, getting a certification to teach would allow me to teach at state department schools abroad (I have a friend who is doing that) so, perhaps that would help with my dream of working abroad. Again, not sure, and I leave things open to change.

My piano teaching job has taken a bit of a hit student wise. I've lost three in a matter of a couple of weeks. One parent who we confronted before I had surgery about not abusing the make-up lesson policy decided that my schedule was inconsistent and problematic and she pulled her daughter, who I've taught for over three years, out. Keep in mind that was just a matter of days after my surgery. Talk about feeling gutted and frankly a bit pissed. Then I lost another due to the studio feeling the need to move her to another teacher due to their schedule conflicts (little league baseball). I'm sorta relieved about that one, they were causing issues. The last student decided he wanted to go with the teacher who subbed for me while I was out. His mother, not wanting to deal with his temperamental nature, gave him what he wanted even though we hadn't even begun to get back into our routine again. It's hard not to take these things personally- well, okay so I did. But, at least with loosing these three students I have a bit more time now and that IS indeed nice. I know I want to keep teaching piano and the extra money is very helpful (I only make $10ish/hr at my school job and I only get paid for hours worked) it does come at an energy cost. I think eventually I'll need to whittle down the number of students to allow for other things. Again, not sure what those other things will be for... just a thought. Guess I'll wait and see...

Next month, my lease is up and I need to decide what to do. I haven't really been living with my roomie, I've been staying at Jon's. There's a variety of reasons for that. But, here's the kicker... since I did sign the lease I have been paying my half of rent and bills for a year. That amounts to roughly $600 dollars per month for a place I use more as a storage facility. I know, it's crazy. I felt bad and didn't want to put my roomie in a financial corner. However, this has to stop. It's draining to my bank account. If I had even half of that money that I have spent per month on that place I would no doubt have my ticket to Europe lined up already among other things. Ugh.

So what do I do? I dunno. I told Jon if I were to move in in an 'official' way I would need a sign of more commitment. Hint, hint. We've looked at rings, discussed the 'm' word, and all that. It's just a matter of Jon seeing the trees from the forest and doing it (I'm a little old fashioned that way). In the meantime, I have to tread lightly with my roomie. She'll probably have another person live in the house, so that would take my 'storage rental fee' down big time. If I did agree to that, why would I go that route again? Because Jon wouldn't admit to his mother that I would be living with him if I were to do that. So yeah.. blech. It's a bit frustrating and I have no one to blame but myself as the choices I have made have led to this situation. How to save face on multiple sides, get to where I wanna be with Jon and my life, and how to not waste a crap load of money during the whole thing. Not sure where this one's going either! lol Stay tuned!

My Eurotrip I wanted to take in June is on hold now. I might be able to go sometime in the summer, but, with airfares going up during peak tourist months this may not happen. I'm really upset about it, truly. I want to see as much as I can, go on a real trip, see wonderful people (yes, I'm mostly talking about you guys!) etc. Keep your fingers crossed I'll find a way there. The school year doesn't afford really good blocs of time off, unless we switch to a year around school set up. I wouldn't mind that, but, that is a decision for the school board powers that be. Le sigh, and sigh again.

Speaking of school board powers that be my school district is about to undergo a massive overhaul to save money and hopefully have a better school district. We're so freaking big, spread out, that resources aren't great and naturally our test scores aren't fabulous. And with those being everything, changes are needed. So, will I have a job next year? It seems so. There are different plans being discussed right now and all of them include my school (ie we won't be closed) it just maybe that my school will turn into a pre-k and kindergarten school only. I don't see this happening, but, it's a possibility. This has definitely caused a lot of stress for teachers and support staff. They won't announce the final plan until school is almost out. So, while teachers spend their time manically getting kids ready for state tests that no one wants to do we wait for the school board to decide our collective fates. Good times folks... good times.

See? LOTS on my mind. Most of it is just stuff that will get sorted out in time, but, with my eye issue, surgery, recovery I haven't had time nor mental energy to just talk about it all. Btw, my eye looks terrific according to my doctor! YAY!! He was showing the nurses the progress and the doctor who was shadowing made an 'ew' sound when she looked at how bad my eye was before and a good surprised look when she looked at my eye after my surgeon did. I already have vision where the gas bubble isn't and that is a fantastic sign. I got lucky guys, really, really lucky. Oh and there were 27 holes inside my eye, so, I totally set the surgeon's all time record. GO ME!

Okay back to the subjects at hand. Lots of stuff up in the air, but, I do believe it'll be alright. This is how life goes, sometimes, lots of uncertainty, possibilities, and those moments when stuff just gets in a lurch because of emergencies (like my eye, but, hopefully not my car). So, I'm here and I'm sorry I've been out of the loop with you all lately. I'm getting there guys, slowly but surely. If you are still reading my blog that means the world to me.

I'm hoping to get more blogging mojo back as life sorts itself out. 'Tis that time of the year that things are cleaned up and renewed. Just getting around to cleaning the house... that one just may have to wait. I have enough to do right now. ;-) Love to you all!

[Working On] Getting My Groove Back

2011-03-27T10:36:00.004-05:00

Last week I went back to work. Back to the elementary school, back to piano lessons, back to forty hours teaching children. All of this with my surgical eye recuperating and having three weeks off because of the eye issue- so with 2+2 equaling 4, I've been exhausted. Working and not seeing properly causes more strain than I realized. To think I was doing my everyday thing for over three weeks with impaired vision and dismissing it- gah! How silly was I??

I shouldn't be driving, but, I have been. Scary stuff! Depth perception is an awesome, awesome thing- especially when you don't have it. Don't worry, I drive as little as possible and as slow as possible without being annoying of course. I have to wear sunglasses in the classrooms I work in because as my pupil can't dilate properly causing the bright light and me aren't good friends. I get splitting, throbbing headaches otherwise (I won't go into how I found this out). I've been reassured this is part of the recovery process, but, while it could be a lot worse, I'm ready to get it over with.

This Wednesday I go back to the surgeon/opthamologist to see how well my eye is healing. I'm hoping I can go back to dancing, I would like to compete at a feis at the end of April. I'm hoping that the gas bubble with be gone and I can see normally or close to normal-ish. And I really hope the cataract that I will inevitably get (could happen now, could happen in 2 years) hasn't developed so my plans to visit Europe may happen (I've lost so much work thanks to the blizzard and this, I lost nearly all of the funds needed to do go). Mainly, I want to get back to some normalcy and to not feel so tired all of the time.

Sorry about the whiny entry. I haven't seen correctly since the end of January. While I am beyond grateful my eye was fixed before I went blind, the recovery process feels so slow! I'm ready to move on and get my life back to normal. So, so ready.

St. Patty's Day Blues

2011-03-16T11:43:00.007-05:00

Well, tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day... and I'm sad. Why? I'm an Irish dancer who has been [medically] unable to dance! Already, there have been two performances my dance school has done and where was I? Stuck at a home with a bum eye and a weak ankle. Sorry for the pity party, but, this has really bummed me out. To top it off, I won't be going out tomorrow hitting the pubs or anything fantastically St. Patty's Day-esque. I won't be in a parade, or seeing a parade, won't go to the new 3-D Lord of the Dance premiere (something to do with only seeing with one eye is nauseating enough at times, add 3-D and I'll be a mess!) and so on.

So, if you are going to have some St. Patrick's Day fun, think of me. Have a drink, holler louder, and have a little bit more fun (not about to get in jail fun though!) for me okay? Just don't do anything that would cause you or someone else great harm alright? Not like I think you will, just wanted to put that disclaimer out there. ;-)

And There Was Rejoicing.. And Other Thoughts

2011-03-14T09:15:00.002-05:00

Today is the first day I can have my head up and look around. It.is.AMAZING! I haven't been awake, but, two hours this morning and I already feel like I'm functioning better. I will say my neck is pretty stiff and achy so a trip to my chiropractor will definitely be needed. Still, I'm thrilled to bits. My eye is still swollen, but, better. I can't see a lot out of if- hardly anything is clear. And the gas bubble inserted in my eye during surgery has made it's way down so things are like looking through a very fuzzy fishbowl.

I'm housesitting again this spring break, but, not Jon's sister's house like before. What can I say? They had a better deal. They pay more, have less for me to do, I really like them and their dog, and I'm closer to Jon which makes things very convenient as I do like to see him and he's my 'personal chef'. It was a win-win all the way around.

On a not so happy note, a lot of my thoughts have been on Japan since Friday. Thank goodness my friends who are there are all accounted for and well. I may have not had a great experience in Japan when I lived there as an exchange student, but, my heart has been aching at every picture, video and report I see, hear or read. Pictures of people after such disasters are always quite upsetting, but, when it's from a place you have lived in one's heart aches in a different way. I really don't know how to describe it, but, seeing the pictures of the Japanese people crying in the rubble, the dazed and sad looks, I dunno... it's as if I understand that pain more because I know 'them' better. Again, it's difficult to describe, so that may not make much sense. Anywho, if you can donate I ask that you do. Even though Japan has an infrastructure to be able to deal with this disaster better than non-developed countries there is still a LOT of help needed. A friend provided this link via Facebook and hopefully there is an organization that you feel comfortable supporting. Arigatou!

So I Had Surgery...

2011-03-08T09:51:00.005-06:00

Sorry I've been a little absent lately! This whole keeping one's head down business is not condusive to reading a whole lot. In fact, most of my interneting is down via my iPhone right now. But, I'm back for a bit getting pictures uploaded and a readers digest version of Thursday posted for all to enjoy.

Aren't you excited? ;-)

Surgery was last Thursday and I must say, despite the whole having to have surgery, the experience was very positive. Leo hung out with me in my pre-op room, which helped keep me very calm. Jon and his mother were there so I wouldn't be uber bored. The nurses and staff were kind and funny. Couldn't ask for a better set up!

Tell me... how could I be freaking out with that face laying on my lap?
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My surgery lasted around an hour and a half. My amazing doctor, Dr. S, went into my eye with tiny instruments, took my ocular fluid out and placed a gas bubble in there which pushed my retina back into place. Then he peeled some membranes inside my eye to put things in a better position (so hopefully this won't happen again), and then went in with a 'cold laser' and sealed the holes that were created before and after my retina decided not to stick to the wall. Apparently, I had over 20 holes!! He told Jon his all time record was 23, but, I learned later that Dr. S simply stopped counting after he hit 20. So I may have beaten his record.
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I know, it's weird I care, but, it's the little things that carry you through the whole, "Holy crap I just had surgery" ordeal.

Post-op was a bit bumpy as we discovered morphine and Megan do not mix well- at all. The nurses were fantastic at giving me enough anti-nausea meds to help with that. I wasn't rushed out the door, in fact I left probably an hour later than planned because the medicine made me rather sleepy and they wanted to make sure I was relatively conscious before I left. My eye hurt for sure, but, the pain didn't bug me nearly as much as the nausea/throwing up biz did. I was very apologetic about the whole deal according to Jon and I also managed to be polite! Oh and I insisted on pictures lol. Because, these things are important after one has had their eye violated with needles and lasers.

So now I'm on day five of recovery. I have been a bit uncomfortable, but, nothing that has caused me great distress. The animals are being really sweet and gentle and Jon's caretaker abilities are exemplary! As I said, the whole head down deal isn't fun- at all. I have to use mirrors on the couch and on a massage chair so I can watch tv and keep my head down. Jon says I look like I'm praying a lot. Overall, things have been going well! Dr. S checked my eye yesterday and was very happy with how it's healing. I have to keep my head down for five more days and after that I can start returning to a more normal life.

Thank you all for the kind words, good thoughts, and support! I really think they helped make this whole ordeal go really smoothly for me. I'll be back to reading and posting more regularly as my recovery allows. Shouln't be much longer. Love you guys!

Eye Update aka Action Plan

2011-03-01T13:17:00.003-06:00

I know most of you are probably rather sick of me mentioning how broken I am! lol I promise I'll be back together and at it in no time. I went in to see a retinal specialist this morning, Dr. S. I didn't know if I was going to have surgery today or not, but, was told just in case they do to not have anything to eat or drink after midnight. Let me tell ya, not exactly a fun was to start the day. But, hey gotta do what you gotta do.

So I went in, got my pupils dilated once again (blech), then met with the doctor who looked at my eyes. At first he didn't make much sense. Holes? Degene...wha??? He reassured me that he'd explain everything in after he talked with his nurse and began making notes in my chart. He was penciling what was wrong with my eye on an eye diagram, when I heard the nurse say something to this effect, "Wow... I don't see you draw in like that." Which meant some bad mojo was up. You never wanna hear nurses or docs say stuff like that. Just my two cents here.

Turns out yes I do have retinal detachment, about half of it (180 degrees of my eye) isn't where it needs to be. To top it off the inside of my eye is riddled with holes due to my retina pulling away. If I didn't get surgery to fix the detachment I'd go blind in my eye. If I didn't get the holes repaired I would have a detachment occur again. Surgery is the only option to fix both of these problems. I will go under anesthesia and Dr. S will go in, take out fluid in my eye and fill it with a gas bubble which will push the eye back into position. After that he'll cold laser the holes shut so I won't have this problem in the near future. Obviously there are some risks, I'm likely to get cataracts in 2-10 ish years because of the gas coming into contact with my lens. There is also no guarantee I will recover all of my vision. I may get lucky and get it all or most back. But,at the very, very least this surgery will prevent me from complete vision loss in my right eye.

Thursday is surgery day. Tomorrow I go in and get all my pre-op blood work, chest x-ray, blah blah stuff done. This has been one crazy ride! Fortunately, this eye issue is being addressed and is fixable. The recovery is 10 days keeping my eyes in a downward position (to keep the bubble in place) and about two weeks of doing a whole lot of nothing. As long as everything heals up as it needs to that will be all I have to deal with. I'm missing loads of work which is going to be financially stressful, but, I'm trying to keep my chin up as I've been through much worse in terms of financial hardship. My bosses are all aware of the situation and promising not to give me the boot. They are being incredibly supportive. The doctor's office is being great and handling all the insurance stuff.

I'm really lucky this is going so smoothly. Keep your fingers crossed it keeps going that way!

Diagnosis- Don't freak out

2011-02-28T18:09:00.002-06:00

The diagnosis has been issued: I have a detached retina. It's bad, but, not the worse case scenario. I have actually been really lucky that I haven't caused more damage the past weeks with all I do! The doc I saw today was fantastic and he and his office worked lightening fast to get me into a retinal specialist immediately. I will be seeing him first thing tomorrow morning. Surgery is very likely and I'll have to take some time off of work to rest and recover. Leo may have to go to a sitter for a bit of that time, it just depends what my prognosis and recovery plan will be.
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I'm a bit dazed at the moment. Ive been calling work, arranging for subs, and all that. Just crazy! While this is stressful it is good news as it is an issue that can be fixed. We just have to take care of it pronto. Thank you everyone for the good thoughts and such. They worked! I'll keep you updated best I can. I'm freaked, but, starting to think positive. Much luv to you all!!

Loosing Sight... Literally

2011-02-27T11:07:00.004-06:00

This is one of those entries where I don't know how or where to begin. Forgive me if this entry seems a bit all over the place and long.

During the nasty blizzard and snow storms we had two weeks ago I noticed something strange going on in the inside of my right eye. It looked like my glasses were somehow 'in the way' like around my nose. I didn't pay much attention at first, but, after a couple of days I took my glasses off and that dark 'spot' was still there. I then thought maybe congestion and pressure were causing this blackish-ness to happen. However, after a few more days and decongestants that dark spot still remained.

Keep in mind I had no other symptoms going with this, so a trip to the ER didn't seem warranted and I couldn't even get my car out of the bottom of the driveway as the street was covered with snow so high it would've caused problems with my old tank, so, no trip to the doctor. When school began I was so busy getting back into the groove and ready for a weekend of Irish dance competition I put off calling my optometrist.

The feises were difficult to say the least because of extreme fatigue and my depth perception being so wonky because of this eye thing. I managed good placements, but, not great dancing. In fact, at the second feis last Sunday, I sprained my ankle when I slipped on stage before I went into a turn. I managed to finish,and placed first, but, understandably I had to drop out of the rest of my competitions. I took the following Tuesday off of work due to the swelling in my ankle and since I had a moment to breathe I called my optometrist to arrange an appointment and get some drops or something so I could regain my full field of vision in my right eye.

Well, no appointment with the eye doc was made. They told me I had to go to an opthamologist as it could be a variety of issues that only an opthamologist could test for. Oh and vision insurance doesn't cover this type of deal, I have to use my medical insurance. Great. Of course, that means I had to go through my PCP to get a referral as I have an HMO. Keep in mind, I am beyond grateful to have insurance! That said, I am beyond over this whole referral approval business. It took my doctors office 24 hours to get my referral approved and that was being listed as an urgent case. The opthamologist wants to do a vision screen as well and that has to get approved. Any tests outside his office will probably have to get approved as well. I hate the thought that finding answers to this problem may drag on and on waiting for approval.

My PCP believes I have lost about half the vision in my right eye. Nothing looks wrong on the surface which means something funky monkey is going on behind it. It maybe optic nerve damage (bad, bad stuff), it could be a retinal issues, etc. I will need tests, maybe a MRI, and surgery maybe an option. Of course, this all depends on what the opthamologist finds tomorrow.

To be honest, I'm freaked out. I'm trying very, very hard not to look anything up online and not to obsess over the what ifs going through my brain. The sprained ankle doesn't bother me that much because I KNOW what to do with it. I KNOW the prognosis is good as long I do such and such. I don't know anything about this eye issue and the thought of it being permanent freaks me out. It's hard to type on my phone, stare at comp screens (hence the major slow down in blog posts) for a period of time, music, text in a book, etc. I don't want to live my life not seeing correctly- I get a little nauseated sometimes, pressure headaches, and tired from having to constantly adjust my focus and perception. I just can't imagine going on in this manner. I'm hoping for a diagnosis and solution(s) tomorrow. I just need to know this can be dealt with.

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T21:06:00.003-06:00

Sweet Boys

Just hoping you all had a lovely Valentine's Day. Jon and I celebrated last night with a fantastic four course meal and a great bottle of pinot noir at a local French restaurant. Nothing super fancy in terms of gifts, but, that wonderful meal was all I needed. It really is the simple things in life isn't it?

Why I Do What I Do

2011-02-12T10:24:00.003-06:00

A 90 minute feature documentary about Irish dancers competing in the 2010 World Championships is on the market. It's already going to be shown in the UK and Ireland and there are rumors the rights have been bought to show it in the US and Canada. My fellow dancers and I are practically frothing at the mouth to see this. Why? Because it shows what we do and why we do it. I may never dance on the world stage, but, I dance for the love, the challenge, the hardwork, and those fleeting minutes I'm on stage trying to obtain perfection.

Jig

Reminder

2011-02-10T21:50:00.003-06:00

I got some upsetting news this week, about a loved one. I'm still processing right now which is why I haven't blogged about it yet. Being stuck at home (yes, week two of no school b/c of this record snowfall deal) hasn't helped as I've had more than enough time to overthink the whole deal. But, here's something I've started telling myself to help.

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change.

The courage to change the things that I can.

And the wisedom to know the difference."

Really, really hoping this sinks in. I'll be back soon.

We Don't Do [this much] Snow in Oklahoma

2011-02-03T19:36:00.004-06:00

This photo is NOT an exaggeration. The state of Oklahoma has been closed down since the 15-20 inches of snow thanks to Blizzard '11 decided to come through Tuesday. I haven't left the house in three days, AND tomorrow marks the fourth day that school will be canceled. Temperatures have been below 20 degrees, and in the below zero range which is rare for us and is keep the snow and ice around. That said, I'm loving being at home as all creature comforts, cable, food, internet, electricity, haven't been taken away. I am loving being able to get little projects here and there taken care of. It has been nice.

That said, it hasn't been nice outside the house for many. I have friends who were stranded at work until today when they were 'rescued'. I know other people who had to wait five hours for a tow truck to get to their car that ran off the road. In fact, the state is littered with abandoned cars along the highways and city streets. Many highways are shut down or just barely drivable. Plowing them, and city streets, has been hindered by the absurd number of vehicels littering the roads. Mind you, we don't exactly have a large fleet of snowplow vehicels in the state, I've been told that the city of Tulsa has exactly two of them. So, you can imagine how slow going the clean up efforts have been. There is over a foot of snow on the city street I live on right now, it hasn't been cleared and the only cars able to get through (at a slow pace) are large trucks and heavy duty jeeps. Not even the mailman has delivered the mail.

That's right, even this blizzard has halted the mail.

And if things don't sound crazy enough soak in this next photo taken by a friend's husband near their home.

The snowplow is stuck. STUCK! This is along a major street in South Tulsa and he's not going anywhere until the area around him is cleared out. Insanity. Suffice it to say, I'm happy to be warm and safe inside and I plan on staying put until things are safe enough to drive.

Cause it's the little things like not being injured, or damaging your car, or being stranded that make life that much nicer.

Snowmaggedonmonsterpocolypse- Say That Ten Times Fast

2011-02-01T08:42:00.005-06:00

Mina, hypnotized by the snow.

Not but three days ago, on Saturday, Oklahoma tied a record high- it was 75 degrees. Right now it is 12 degrees with blizzard like conditions. Now, folks you must understand Oklahoma is NOT equipped to deal with this kind of weather. It simply isn't. Even with a state of emergency declared there just isn't enough equipment to clear the roads. Most mock this, roll their eyes and such. Though I did live up north I've learned to accept this shortcoming. Usually we have some ice, a bit of snow, and that's it for winter. When we have more than an inch of snow people get weird and crazy. Imagine how it is when there's a prediction of over a foot of snow. Yeah, we just shut down (after going to the grocery and liquor store mind you, necessities to survive being stuck at home).

Now imagine when a blizzard warning is issued- the third one issued in Tulsa history. Schools shut down BEFORE the snow was even here. Even I canceled a babysitting gig for fear the freezing rain would start while I was babysitting. It did btw, makes me feel better in light of the parent who was annoyed at me for requesting that I stay home and safe.

It's not even 9am here in Tulsa and we are already snow bound. I love it as long as I don't have to drive in it of course. One things that I love about snow storms, or blizzard in this case, is it forces one to just stay inside and slow down. Lordy knows we all need that sometimes, right? The dogs, however, are going cuhrazy playing outside, it's like switch comes on and their brains go into snow mode. Leo hates it that I'm not letting him outside!

But when your back door has already been frozen shut (hairdryers are so handy) I'm going with the play it safe mode. Besides, I have to clean and dry the dogs off and well... yeah I have the day off and I plan on being extra lazy.

Unlike Tibby... who has taken lazy to the cat coma level. So, he wins the lazy contest... for now. ;-)

ps- You better believe more snow survival stories and pictures to come!

Oh hai!

2011-01-30T10:34:00.004-06:00

Soo... eh hem... hi!! I know, it's been awhile huh? I didn't intend to take off a couple of weeks from blogging, but, it just kinda happened that way. I have come to see how grueling the choice to teach children forty hours a week is. Four days a week I usually go from work at school to work at the studio teaching piano. On three of those days I teach until 6pm- I start my day at 8am. Blargh. To say I get worn out because of that is an understatement.

Teaching kids is draining. I love to do it I really do, but, it does require a lot of focus, patience, and well... energy. I am realizing that I need more down time than I've allowed myself to decompress and recharge my batteries. Initially, I chose to structure my work days in such a way I'd only teach private piano three days a week, but, [students'] schedule conflicts and weird drama at the music studio has caused my schedule to change. I haven't been happy about it and I am tired. Monday-Thursday I have been waking up thinking,' I don't want to do this' ie work so much. So, I've been doing some thinking. I'll work and put up with this schedule for now. I have a trip to Europe to save up for and between both jobs I should be able to make the trip happen barring a major crises.

That said, after my trip I'm going to change my piano teaching schedule to be more conducive to my mental and physical well being when the school year starts back up in August. I'm hoping my living arrangements will be cheaper and I can easily take a pay cut. Fingers crossed. In the meantime, I'm going to trudge through those hard long days and try to be cheery about it. After all, attitude makes all the difference right? ;-)

PS- MISSED YOU GUYS!!

Giggle

2011-01-16T19:05:00.002-06:00

I wish I could take credit for this poster, but, I can't. Whoever designed this is a genius though.

A FB friend posted this via a University of Oklahoma publication and I just had to share. Especially since I'm enjoying a glass of wine right now, sitting on a couch with my feet elevated thanks to some bad bruises from dance, watching more 30 Rock than I care to admit. So, very 'exciting'. ;-)

Coping Mechanisms

2011-01-12T21:34:00.004-06:00

God Bless those who fry food and make big LITs.

I haven't had the best of weeks. Perhaps this is to balance the great Thursday I had last week. You never know. Anyways, Monday started out awful. I woke up with pink eye (thank goodness I had the anti-biotic eye drops to help!) and my period started (I know tmi, but, it sets the tone for this day). The cold, snowy weather that rolled into Tulsa was enough to nearly get me in a wreck, but, not enough to cancel school. The school I work in was cold in many places as the heaters aren't working as well. Leo wasn't listening, the kids weren't listening, and my body wouldn't stop aching. As if that all wasn't icky enough I discovered I locked my keys in my car. I do NOT have a spare set.

Ugh.

Jon once again came to my rescue. He drove over to my school from work, called a locksmith, got cash and a hot chocolate at Quiktrip, and came in time to pay said locksmith and take Leo off of my hands. That night he treated me out to Bros. Holligan's and I coped by drinking the LIT you see in that picture (to my left), eating fried shrimp, cottage fries and the entire container of God-I-Don't-Wanna-Know-How-Many-Ounces-Of-Amazing-Gravy-Goodness. Not exactly my finest hour, but, it was delicious.

Okay, so this week hasn't been horrible... just blech. I think I'm still adjusting being back to working for forty hours per week. Dance is about to start back up and I'm hoping that I'll get an energy and motivation boost from that. I'm also getting back to some French classes to get me ready for my visit abroad. I am thrilled to get my [foreign language part] brain working again.

So there's hope I won't be a complete lump on the sofa when I get home everyday from work, right? Right?!

What Not to Be

2011-01-09T17:46:00.003-06:00

Via Google Images

This morning an interesting article was posted by a fellow, and fabulous, blogger Michelle from Bleeding Espresso. The author of said article compares how Americans view work verses what she was used to from her native country Serbia. Mind you, I'm not here to go on a rant about how horrible the workaholic mentality in America is, or start pointing fingers at how lazy other countries are compared to the US. The article sparked my interest because last night Jon and I were talking exactly about American society's general expectation for us to be career minded hardworking young adults verses the fact that we are just beginning to see what our talents and weakness are in the working world and unsure as to how to utilize these AND find something we would both enjoy doing. So, here I am to muse and discuss my thoughts as doing this adult in the real world thing has brought up many things, like working, to ponder.

I went to college 'late' as a 22 year old, so, I guess maybe I'm a bit delayed in my thinking or maybe going to school later has given me a different perspective on things. I'm not entirely sure. While I want to be productive and I love doing things and helping people I do not want to get stuck in the 'Live to Work' mentality. I don't want to have my career path set, I don't have ambitions (though I can be ambitious) to be 'at the top'. As I've bee rather persistent with this attitude, I've begun finding it difficult to stick to my 'Work to Live' philosophy at times. For example, my brother over Christmas break was miffed when I told him that I was 'figuring it out' as far as what I wanted to do with my life as if that thought was something quite 'irresponsible'. Even though, I wish I could cut my private piano student load in half, I'm biting the bullet to save money for my summer trip to Europe and for the summer income famine (I only get paid for hours worked). A little more free time sounds wonderful. That said, I do not have to deal with nearly 60 hour work weeks and I'm very grateful for that.

Anywho, back to my main idea. I work, I like to work actually. But, I like there to be a limit on how much I have to work. I haven't had a real get away from it all vacation in nine years as being a poor college student with no insurance did not help me to travel around much at all. I think there needs to be a balance struck between work and having a life outside of work and taking time to find a good place/vocation to work. In America we work, a LOT. I like that we have a 'can do', 'work hard' mentality. However, there seems to be an obsession with work, position, pay, and what you have, as if it is tied to our self worth or something. I'm no socialologist, so I'm not going to into any in-depth analysis here. I will say though that I wish I could experience guarantees that some countries do have in terms of work and 'play' (ie vacation). To have an environment that respects that balance. [Keep in mind, I know it's not as simple as that, and there are exceptions]

Wouldn't it be nice to learn how to take a break and enjoy the world around us? I was horrified over Christmas break when I was actually going stir crazy as I didn't have 'anything to do'. I quickly realized how I needed to learn to relax and enjoy not having to do so much. Is there something wrong with wanting that? I know many Americans who wouldn't disagree with me wanting that, yet many of them will turn around and continue to work long hard hours. Sigh.

And wouldn't it be nice to be an adult my age and no one coming down on you for working hard, but, not be so obsessed with a career and making lots of dough? Wouldn't it be great if we could appreciate all thoughts on how to live our lives? I know I'm not the only American out there who thinks this way, but, sometimes I feel rather alone and difficult to keep my head above the water. Because, it seems by the standard society has set (ie being a mother and/or having status in the workplace) I am not succeeding, not by a long shot.

And I just can't wrap my head around that.

Contented Sigh

2011-01-06T20:52:00.003-06:00

Today was one of those days. One of those good days that is. I have nearly caught up on the lost sleep I sustained at the beginning of the week and am beginning to settle back into the daily grind. Today I had energy and more mental clarity and kids seemed to respond to me well. Even Leo seemed more settled in, willing to take naps when I didn't need him to do anything. And when I did need him he didn't fail to perform. When I asked him to lay down with the pre-schoolers during an assembly not only did he lay there until I needed him to move, he tolerated frantic four year old pets, kids in his face, and his ears being pulled in all sorts of giggles. Much to the delight of the little ones, of course!

Then, we had the first class at Therapetics of 2011, and thing there went very well. No, Leo is not perfect, but, I'm able to correct and redirect him well and he gets to what he needs to be doing after that. It is so nice to not have him dig in his heels and refuse to do things now. Today, he [mostly] did what he was told, was walking around with a loose leash, laid quietly for long periods of time (hard for him, he likes to do things and whines when he's bored), and just in general listened well. It seems he is FINALLY getting past the obnoxious teenager phase! YAYNESS!

After class I went down the street to the new studio space our dance school is going to be using. Now that we're our own school my teacher found a place for us to dance in and has put in a dance floor. My shins are rejoicing! It's not a huge space, but, it will meet our needs. I don't know why this excites me, but, it does. I came home and practiced more and had a couple of moments where I saw progress. That gave me some serious encouragement.

I guess, in a nutshell, today is one of those days where I saw and felt progress in areas I often get worried I'm not improving in. Work, Leo, and dance all had little signs that told me, "Hey, you're getting somewhere and doing okay!" It's nice to get days like that isn't it?

Collapse

2011-01-03T20:26:00.004-06:00

Oh yes, Leo usually looks like this when he's napping.

Last night in some cruel twist, I woke up from a nightmare that I had discovered illegal drugs at my school. Okay, that was weird. I managed to go back to sleep, but, then... then 4am rolled around I woke up, again. Did I fall back asleep? Oh, no, no no. So here I am, 16 hours of being awake on less than 4 hours of sleep, after a (first day back) 8am-6pm work day. I. am. tired.

Guess what I'm going to try get a lot of tonight? ;-)

Happy New Year [Party that is]

2011-01-01T18:33:00.009-06:00

Alright, as per request of my dear friend Sarah, here's pictures of my New Year celebrations. Last night Jon and I hosted a New Year's Eve party. Our first real one really. I spent two days cleaning and reorganizing the house and Jon ran all over Tulsa getting the proper food and party stuff and wines. I was nervous and stressed as I wanted the food to be great and for people to have a great time, but, it didn't take long to forgot about that as people poured on in.

Technically the first course was baked brie, but, that was annihilated fast and I didn't whip out the camera fast enough. At least the fondue course lasted a bit so I was able to sneak in shots between eating, drinking, hosting and managing dogs.

This distraction only lasted a few minutes I'm afraid.

Semi-food/cheese induced comas didn't stop anyone from eating.

The raclette grill in action during course three. Jon's gift to me for Christmas. This was the first time I've ever used one, and let me tell you it will be used again and again. The handles below are to 'shovels' that hold cheese under the heating coils. Obviously, the coils heat the stone on top and you can cook whatever you want on that. Once the cheese obtains the desired gooeyness you pour it over cooked veggies, meat, charcuterie, potatoes, bread, etc. It is simple and sinful and delicious. How this hasn't caught on in America bewilders me.

A great, albeit dark, picture of how the evening went. People were just happy. We ate, drank, talked, laughed, for hours. No one was in a rush we just enjoyed one another's company and the food.

Of course we had dessert and that was a complete success as well. Yum, yum, and yum. We broke out the champagne soon after this as it was getting close to midnight.

Leo hanging out watching us countdown the last seconds of 2010.

Happy New Year indeed!! The party lasted past two (am) when we all simply couldn't take it anymore. We had been pushed to our limits! But, in such a good way! This is probably going to go down as one the best New Year's Eve parties I've ever attended. Okay, yes, I did help to host it. That said, it was just a wonderful evening filled with loads of good food, drink, and even better great friends who made every bit of sweat and worry poured into this night worth it.

Bring on 2011!!

2010-12-31T10:16:00.001-06:00

What are you doing this New Year's Eve? I will be partying it up with some friends at Jon's. Baked brie, raclette (I got an awesome Swiss made grill for Christmas), fondue, and a chocolate fountain (borrowed, we weren't going to splurge for a rental) are all on the menu. Of course, there is to be wine and after dinner liquors, and any other beverages our friends may bring. As I've told many people we're sending off 2010 and ringing 2011 in style.

In random Oklahoma weather news, yesterday the temps hit 70, there was a tornado warning in the middle of the night, it's windy this morning as a cold front is beginning to move through, and tonight the temps are supposed to drop into the 20s and apparently a winter weather advisory has been issued for later tonight.

I guess Oklahoma wants to send off 2010 and ring in 2011 with some flair too!

Happy and Safe New Years to you!! May 2011 be filled with many joys and triumphs. I look forward to the new year and I count myself lucky to have so many friends willing to ride along. As the French say, gros bisous!! See ya next year!

Happy Blog-versary!!

2010-12-30T12:28:00.004-06:00

My little ol' blog is two years old today!! Woot, woot! Last year I totally forgot about the blog-versary until about two weeks after the fact. I decided I wasn't going to miss it this time around.

Two years. Gosh it feels longer than that! I've been so lucky to gain some fabulous friends through this blog and I am beyond grateful for each and every one of you who come here and read my musings. You guys are the best!

So while there will be no wild parties to celebrate this occasion (I am though hosting a fab New Year's Eve shindig tomorrow) I am celebrating in my heart you guys who make this blog possible. I've enjoyed all the 'conversations' we've had and hope for many more if you don't mind. Here's to another blogging year!

Christmas 'Hangover'

2010-12-28T20:27:00.004-06:00

A cute picture of Tibby, napping on my legs, and demonstrating perfectly what I've been up to.

No, I am not suffering the effects of a holiday bender. Just,the fatigue and lack of motivation to do and go places that the end of Christmas brings. I have practiced Irish dance, and kept some of the house clean, so, it's not as if I haven't done anything. Just a whole lot of laying on the couch, not thinking, and yet still having a weird feeling that I need to go to work- like tomorrow. I'm not going to lie, this is nice. A recovery of sorts, time to appreciate the finer things in life like not having to be somewhere or get something.

Hope you all are having a lovely post-Christmas recovery too!

A Very Merry Christmas Indeed

2010-12-25T21:43:00.004-06:00

I was going to have a cute picture of Tybalt during his first Christmas, but, he's not cooperating (make no mistake though, he's still cute). So here's me! In glasses to boot! Aren't you all feeling special. Seeing me for one, AND in glasses. :-P At least, the tree looks great.

Okay, enough of that. I just wanted to jump on here and say I hope you all have had a wonderful Christmas filled with love, peace, and good memories. I was so blessed to have a good one this year, nothing spectacular, but, yet one where I finally felt in sync with new and old traditions. An one where I consumed copious amounts of very yummy food. Now to enjoy "A Christmas Story" and some hot drink. Merry Christmas to you, my dear and most loved, friends!

Twelve Christmas Memories: Part V

2010-12-22T19:48:00.003-06:00

1997. This was the first Christmas I spent without my grandfather Pap. Just a little over two weeks before Christmas he passed away from cancer. He actually lived with us before his passing. To say it was difficult is mild, but, what I had to go through was nothing compared to my mother who was with him every minute she had and then some. One day I may get around to posting about that time, or the day he died.

Pap always came to our house, no matter where we lived, for Christmas. When my great grandmother was alive he flew in on December 26 so he could spend Christmas with his mother and then our family; my brother and I for the longest time fretted about what would happen if Santa didn't get our letter explaining why he needed to come a day later to our house for Christmas. After my Nana passed away he was at our house before Christmas day. I loved Pap, so his arrival for the holidays always made me happy even if it meant my bedroom would be commandeered as the guest room and I would sleep on the couch. I would often go up to my room and peak to see if he was awake. The man had some saintly patience to put up with me.

The Christmas without Pap stands out, not because it was sad, but, because I felt an even stronger conviction to celebrate the holiday to its fullest. I was sad he was gone of course. Yet, in that typical fashion I knew he would want us to remember him and live our lives and celebrate. He even said so, in so many words, before he died. Though we didn't spend Christmas day together we did so much before he died that it was almost as if we had two Christmases that year. I will never forget my mother wheeling him out, while I was practicing, from his room so he could hear me play Christmas music on the piano he had bought me. The look on his face will never, ever leave my memory.

I felt sad today remembering this time and other difficult Christmases, but, then I realized how much strength I had even after Pap passed away. I watched him battle cancer, with such integrity though he was in a so much pain and the emotional side of facing death, I can't even imagine. His last gift to me was showing me how to be brave and strong, and how to find goodness and happiness even amongst the darkest of hours. Thank you Pap, though you are gone, you continue to teach me more and more. One of the most amazing gifts any person can give another.

Twelve Christmas Memories: Round IV

2010-12-21T10:19:00.004-06:00

A little piece of this year's Christmas tree. It's a real one which is so exciting for me! First real one in a LONG time.

If you haven't been able to figure this out, know that I freakin' love Christmas trees. L-O-V-E them. It's odd as I do not have decorative inclinations when it comes to the house any other time of the year. Whip out a Christmas tree and I'm all about making that sucker look good and sparkle. I sometimes think I was a raccoon in a previous life- I really dig shiny things sometimes. I think trees in the home, for me, is that idyllic symbol of Christmas. Something that we all gather around and have many happy moments with the gift giving and all that. And, no matter where we moved we always had our tree at Christmas time to make me feel not so far away from family and friends. That's how evocative a Christmas tree is to my memory banks.

One Christmas when my family gathered around to decorate the Christmas tree a major argument broke out. Full on verbal assault. My mother was probably tired and worn out from her job (she was working in an elementary school while dealing with a slew of major health issues), my father was likely worn out from traveling during most of the week and having to come home to project after project and my brother being the combative type wasn't having their negativity. What a combo!! Naturally I tried to settle the argument a role I took up many times for one reason or another. Heck I don't even remember what that particular argument was about. It was one of many pointless angry battles that would sometimes go through the house like a terrible wildfire that I couldn't put out.

Things reached a point where my parents and my brother wouldn't have anything to do with one another and no one was in the mood to decorate the tree. Except me. My father scoffed and said, "Fine do it yourself!!" And so I did. Lights and all. My brother came in later to help me out what was awesome as it was a really tall tree. I think this Christmas memory sticks out because despite conflict I still clung to traditions and the ritual of making Christmas special. I put the Christmas movies tape in and went to it, bound and determined to get our tree sparkling. Later that determination to find something, anything to be happy about with Christmas would serve me during some difficult Christmas seasons. Let's face we all have a couple that definitely didn't turn out the way we wanted. I've learned to be okay with that as those not so great Christmases help to make the next ones more special.

A Little Interlude

2010-12-20T22:27:00.004-06:00

Mina on top the Ann Taylor box (my gift). What can I say? The cat has good taste.

Yes, I know, I am not writing more Christmas memories. I will continue those I promise, after all I have until January 6th (Epiphany signifying the last of the 12 days of Christmas) to get all those Christmas memories in there! This is just a little update what I've been doing lately. The current Christmas memories I'm forming right now if you will.

I have been taking care of lots of Christmas business since I went on break. I am happy to report that the load of shopping with Leo in tow was not only successful in terms of his training and present getting, but, actually fun. I know, Christmas shopping in major stores and a mall a week before Christmas doesn't seem like it would be fun, but, people seemed more friendly and happy to see Leo in the stores. That and I was given wide berth thanks to the service dog 'attatchment'. Made things a lot easier for me.

Today I'm taking care of a sick boyfriend and getting things cleaned up around here. I'm happy to report, this house is almost as clean as pre-sick, worn out due to work me! Woo hoo!! Okay, the laundry still needs to be done, but, there are enough clean clothes to keep going. Presents have been wrapped, a Christmas activity I love to do. In fact, I used to be the 'family wrapper' of sorts. Not only could I wrap gifts well, I also had a horridly messy closet and under bed where the little treasures could be hidden until I got around to wrapping. In fact, one year I managed to hide wrap an industrial sized car jack that weighed God knows how much. Fun story, but, not an feat I'd like to repeat any time soon.

Louie and Leo tired after lots of playing. I'm pretty sure, Lou likes having us around all day.

Baking activities will be commencing Thursday at Jon's parent's home. After the scare Jon's mother had last week (hospital visit, but, all turned out a-ok) we are making sure to spend plenty of time with her this season. I plan on baking chocolate and chocolate and peppermint macarons and palmiers and maybe make another from scratch pumpkin pie. I will also be getting a visit from my brother soon too. This is turning out to be a great Christmas for me despite all the busyness of work. There's a real tree, many decorations, lots of music and Christmas movie classics, and a sense of happiness at the thought of being around loved ones sharing food, laughter and good times. I'm feeling quite lucky and blessed this season and I hope you are feeling the same too.

Quickie

2010-12-18T11:02:00.002-06:00

This isn't a post persay, but, I just wanted to share this link with you all. My friend The Pliers told me about a blog and the community around it who are doing some great things to spread Christmas cheer to people in need. Please stop by The Bloggess and read all about it. And, if you're able to help please do. If not, then just spread the word. This is what Christmas is about guys and Lord knows we need to bring attention to how much goodness and good people are out there in the world don't you think?

Twelve Christmas Memories: Round III

2010-12-17T15:50:00.004-06:00

At first I wasn't sure which Christmas memory to share next. Then today at school it came to me. My teacher friends were talking about a particular student expressing that she and her family were probably not going to have Christmas this year as they didn't have much money. My friends being awesome, bought her some gifts to take to her so she could have a Christmas. Then I remembered about the year that Christmas almost didn't happen

I lived in Iowa for two years back in the early '90s. In fact, I lived in an over 100 year farm house on a working farm (we rented). There were lots of cows around and more corn than I care to think about. When I say we lived in the country I mean country. Our nearest neighbors were a mile or more away. We lived in this house because it was halfway between my father's work place and the small city where my mother worked. My father eventually got fed up with his position and quit. I know this wasn't a decision taken lightly, but, I can't help but think he didn't realize how hard it would be to find work.

Months stretched on, my father was on unemployment and I even remember going with him to pick up his check. That check and my mother's teacher salary was barely enough to keep our family going. I remember not being too worried about the lack of things around the house, but, I do remember being worried about them. My parents seemed to be worried most of the time and when Christmas rolled around their concerns seemed even heavier. Being an oblivious 11 year old I didn't really think much of what all they could be worrying about.

We had Christmas and I remember thinking it was odd Santa gave my brother and I more candy in our stocking than usual. Typically, we had lots of goodies and a bit of candy. I also recall noting, that there weren't a lot of gifts either. Years later my mother told me that that Christmas happened because of her teacher friends and my grandparents that year. In fact, we almost didn't have a Christmas that year. I still to this day don't know who helped us at my mother's school, but, I really wish I did because I would love to give them a hug. Talk about the true embodiment of giving.

Please allow me a quick post story shout out. To all those who provided for my family thank you. To all of those who give a little to charity, or a surprise gift to someone who doesn't have much, or just being kind towards one another thank you. To the teachers at my school who give to those students who don't have much, thank you.

Twelve Christmas Memories: Round II

2010-12-14T15:48:00.003-06:00

This one should be entitled, "The Year I Learned Peach is NOT a Christmas Color." Oh yes, peach. My family moved around quite a bit growing up, and while we lived in Michigan we had an annual tradition of going to Frakenmuth, Michigan a Bavarian town that had Christmas everything- I would only go to that Santa as he was the only one who had a legit beard, thus, he must have been Santa. I L-O-V-E-D this place. I even pushed through a stomach flu once so we could make our pilgrimage to this town; which my mother oh so appreciated when I threw up chicken noodle soup all over the bathroom floor of a lovely Bavarian restaurant. But, I digress.

Because Frankenmuth had Christmas everything there were tons of beautiful, high quality ornaments you could purchase for your tree. One year my mother found this beautiful angel for the top of our tree and she bought it. Unfortunately that angel 'inspired' her to make our Christmas tree more, 'designer' like what you would see in a catalogue or on display in a store front. Now, to be fair, I'm down with themes and color schemes for a tree, but, what horrified me the most about my mother's inspiration was that she was going to decorate the tree in ONLY sage green and peach decorations and a few neutrals that would not conflict with the main colors.

Thus, the Christmas of '88 none of our traditional, much loved, and some [poorly] handmade ornaments were not permitted to be on the tree. I was angry. Like, really, really upset. Sage green balls, peach ribbons, [peach and green themed] floral pattern bows??? Seriously, I think the word that would best describe my state of mind was disgusted. That wasn't Christmas at all!! How could you have a tree like that and call it a Christmas tree?? Oh people you have no idea how I suffered that Christmas because of my mother's themed tree. Me, a Christmas junkie already at the tender age of 7 could not even look at that tree with any sense of magic and wonder. And folks, I loved me some Christmas magic and wonder. I still get that feeling even at the hardened old age of 29 when Christmas season comes again. Even my grandfather's much anticipated annual Christmas visit (I adored that man) was marred because of that tree.

Mercifully, we never repeated the designer Christmas tree look again. Oh my mother still persisted in using the green and peach stuff, but, over the years those decorations broke, got torn, lost in moving etc. I still to this day will never forget 'The How NOT to Decorate a Christmas Tree Christmas.' Today my tree decorating ritual must include nostalgia, hot chocolate and marshmallows, and sometimes old and loved decorations (the few that I have).

Not that I have an opinion on the matter or anything. ;-)

Twelve Christmas Memories: Part I

2010-12-12T10:31:00.005-06:00

My blog/FB friend Michelle Fabio, from the fabulous blog Bleeding Espresso, inspired me to blog about twelve Christmas memories as she had back in 2007. I don't know if I have twelve worthy of being blogged about, but, as I think my blog needs some life breathed into it (ie: I need to blog more!) I figured what the heck?

And away we go...

My earliest Christmas memory is from when I was just four years old. My family lived in Yukon, Oklahoma (home of Garth Brooks for anyone who knows who that is). My father's family lived (and still resides) in California while my mother's was mainly in Oklahoma and Texas. That Christmas we, along with my grandfather Pap who lived in Texas, took to the road and made the nearly two day trek to California. Just one thing, we did it in a bus.

To this day I hate traveling in buses.

We made it, more or less intact. I remember being so exhausted and then very overwhelmed by the sheer number of people when we got there. My father has three sisters and another half-sister. Add a spouse and a child or two, my family, and my grandparents, there were more family members there than I had ever seen! I singled out my Aunt S and cousin M as the people to stick to- like glue.

I don't remember the Christmas presents so much as the activities and misadventures during that time. One night during the mass bathtime, that was neccessary with so many small children running around, being that I was the only female cousin my age I actually attempted to use the toilet in the fashion that my young male relatives, and brother, did. I was not successful and quickly corrected that said technique does NOT work with girl parts. Please keep in mind I had just turned four and I really, really didn't know any better. I remember sleeping in a big room with my cousins and waking up before everyone, seeing one of my aunts, but, my sleepy mind thinking she was a bear walking quietly amongst us. I remember the cats around my grandparents house that was in the woods near Yosemite National Park.

I think that Christmas will always be about the experience of being somewhere new and being around family that I had never seen in one place. I remember them and all the new and sometimes strange things they did and this big woodsy place in California where we all had gathered. My first Christmas memory, which is appropriate as I love going to new places and being around people gathered together to celebrate and/or just appreciating being around one another. I think that Christmas set a tone that has always been around my whole life.

What Do You Say?

2010-12-08T15:19:00.002-06:00

Today I had to report child abuse to my principal. Obviously, for privacy reasons, I cannot go into any details whatsoever. I can say that I'm very, very shook up by this, as hearing what I did today stirred up many memories of the fear I lived in as a child. It's good to face things for sure, but, wow the pain I felt back then and feel now for that kid is hit me harder than a Mack truck and is surprisingly acute. That said, I'm an adult now, not a scared child and I know how to deal with these emotions. That little one on the other hand, does not have any of those luxeries.

I don't know what to say really. However, if you're the type that believes in prayers, good thoughts/vibes, and all that please send some that kid's way. They need help and I hope that somehow, someway good things will happen for them soon.

A Little Shout Out

2010-12-05T19:26:00.003-06:00

To these two gorgeous people.

To this crazy nice guy.

To this precocious and sweet child.

To this amazingly strong young lady.

Four dancers, one teacher. They all went to DC this weekend for the Southern Region Oireachtas (o-rock-tahs, a major Irish dancing competition). Lots of competitors and even more pressure. If you score high enough there not only to you get bragging rights, but, a chance to go to the National competition, even the World stage.

Every one of these dancers not only did well enough to make it to the third round (roughly half of the competition), but, they all scored high enough to qualify for the National competition to go. I couldn't be prouder of all of them. The young lady broke her elbow two and a half weeks ago and competed in a cast- she's going to Nationals. The crazy sweet guy has had to make major changes in his technique- he's going to Nationals. The precocious, sweet kiddo has learned hard lessons about motivation and worked even harder to improve- she's going. My gorgeous friend has worked her tail off and pushed through many doubts and moved up thirty places from last year- she too is going.

Then there's my gorgeous teacher who has worked so incredibly hard this year, not only with us dancers, but, also in hopes of passing the difficult TCRG examination.

Not only did she bring dancers up to be able to go to Nationals, but, also passed the TCRG (only 30% do at a time!). Now we are about to become our own school and we're so excited. So, I had to give a shout out to my friends who have worked incredibly hard and long for this. They are so deserving of a little bit of attention!

Robitussin and Christmas Movies Help to Make the Season Bright..

2010-12-04T19:41:00.004-06:00

I'm sick. Again. lol It's almost ridiculous actually. I think this is the fourth time I've been sick this semester! I knew, going into my new job, that the first year (and even the second) one works at a school they use up all their sick days and then some. I have been told that I will not get sick after this immune 'boot camp'. I know they're right, I do. Just right now, feeling a little pessimistic. ;-)

I do feel a bit bad about so many posts centered around being sick or having a hard time at work. I promise, my life is not all sickness and hard moments. Things have been great, but, very busy. Irish dance is awesome, though I am working really hard right now (in between illnesses) to improve which of course comes slower than my perfectionist self wants. Then there's Leo who's training is coming along great despite this horrid teenager phase, Louie who is as sweet as ever, Mina who reigns supreme, and the newbie Tibby who is getting ridiculously cuter and sweeter with each passing day. Of course, Jon's still around working and beginning to actually think about fixing up the house to his liking. In between all of that I've been out with friends, had my productive moments, and so on and so forth.

So you all see, I really do have a life outside of illness and work! lol I think I'm still adjusting to keeping it all in balance and then getting around to post about it. But hey, it'll come with time and more experience right? In the meantime, I'll be thinking happy holiday thoughts via the classics (Rudolph, Charlie Brown, etc), the vacation that's coming up, and thanking the makers of over-the-counter and homeopathic medicines which are keeping me quite mellow and content right now.

ps- Please don't hold any typos against me. Decongestants make me a bit... foggy.

Surely It Gets Better

2010-12-01T18:35:00.003-06:00

I seriously believe this is what is in store for me this December

Just as my body begins to heal from November's 'trauma' December has already handed me some doozies. You remember how I mentioned December at an elementary school means staff and faculty go into survival mode? Yeah, it's true. Soooooo true.

I won't bore you with the stories of the misbehavior and other issues that came with the first of December. Though, the 2nd grader peeing all over the bathroom wall is a good one. I just felt the need to go 'DEAR GOD HELP!!' on my blog. I hope you all don't mind. I really do love you all and I hope this month won't be full of 'Holy crap, today was....' entries.

That said, I made NO promises. ;-)

Complicated

2010-11-28T15:14:00.003-06:00

Why oh why do things have to be so... ugh... complicated? I'm not talking about the holiday in of itself. In fact, Thanksgiving was great and I was excited that I could eat a meal for the first time since 'the incident'. Then in the middle of the night my Thanksgiving dinner was not settling on my stomach so well. I was up for two hours in stomach pain, then my body decided to hit the eject button. Though I felt a bit better, I could barely eat the next day so I went back to my magic man of a kinesio/chiro to see if I could get any relief.

He checked me out and sure enough it wasn't just inflammation of my rib cage and abdominal walls I also managed to develop a hiatal hernia (click on the link for all the great details if you want them). In short, part of my stomach decided to take a trip upward into my esophagus. Oh yeah, you know it is as 'fun' as it sounds. Blech.

So no I wasn't so busy with Thanksgiving I forgot to post, I was in pain and exhausted, and kinda cranky with it all lol. Good news is it's not a serious injury, just an annoyingly uncomfortable one. Add that I have to eat tiny portions, deal with acid reflux, and I have become one not so pleasant person. I haven't had a full meal in over a week. My blood sugars hate me right now.

Here's to this week... may it be filled with good recovery, larger meals, and kids who won't decide to take their frustrations out on my poor stomach.

ps- Hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving or at least a Happy Thursday.

Follow Up

2010-11-23T21:11:00.003-06:00

Today, not even a full three months into this job, I had to fill out worker's compensation paperwork. Cuhrazy. After a night of not sleeping well, and continued discomfort and swelling due to the pain in my side thanks to the incident where my stomach was rudely introduced to a student's shoulder I was told to go and tell the principal what happened. My boss is uber cool and was very kind to me about the whole deal. Seriously, I feel bad and kinda embarassed that a second grader managed to do some damage. We talked to the student to explain to how their actions, though not a punch, still caused me pain. The kiddo felt bad and I made sure to point out how we were still friends and that we can move on from here. The child was actually taken home due to their actions. I felt bad, but, I'm hoping this ordeal can be used to help the child. To be honest, I'm not angry because this particular case is heartbreaking and I dearly want that kiddo to get the help they deserve so they'll have a fighting chance at having a decent future.

Anyways, after that little talk I began filling out paperwork with our health assistant. Upon completion of said paperwork, I had to head to a clinic immediatly ( I did not loose any pay thank goodness) to get checked out, mind you all of this with Leo in tow. I got chest x-rays taken and no surprise there wasn't anything broken (I mean I'm pretty sure the pain would be a bit more intense if it was!). The verdict? My rib cage and abdominal wall have suffered contusions and strains. Just like what my magic of a chiropractor/kinesiologist said! That kid really did hit the sweet spot. So, 'real' medical science has verified I'm going to be uncomfortable for the next few days and to not overdue it as tearing of this area could be bad. Wee haw.

Well, at least the swelling in my abdomen will likely keep me from overeating Thanksgiving Day! See? There's always a silver lining.

It Was Bound to Happen...

2010-11-22T19:07:00.002-06:00

I work in a school with a varied student population. That said, we have some students that resemble the younger, more hopeful, version of the kids in the movie "Dangerous Minds". Sometimes, and I hate to admit this, it's like we're watching ticking timebombs. We hope we can diffuse or at least lessen the severity of the inevitable, but, we accept there is only so much we can do for these kids though we try to help and use every [sometimes limited] resource at hand.

With that in mind, I knew one day I would end up in an altercation with a child. Today was that day. Back from a two days out due to the stomach flu, I come back ready to go, and I get bodychecked by a student who didn't like my [not really that bad of a] reprimand for pulling another kid's shirt in the cafeteria. This student got up, yelled how he didn't do anything, marched towards me and planted his shoulder square in my stomach. Now mind you he's tiny and there wasn't a lot of force going into this bodycheck. So imagine my surprise when I felt intense burning pain in my stomach that lasted for over six hours straight.

Welcome back!

I went to my chiropractor who also deals in kineasology. Apparently, the tiny second grader managed to hit just the right spot bruising my stomach and diaphragm a bit (having a sore stomach from my virus probably didn't help anything there). No real harm done, just some soreness and mild discomfort which will require some ice, deep breathing, and maybe a return visit to make sure everything stays in place.

To say I'm ready for Thanksgiving break to begin is an understatement lol. And to think, all the teachers have told me it just goes downhill from here as the winter/Christmas break nears. Oh goodie.

Help?

Adventures In Raising Leo

2010-11-21T10:35:00.003-06:00

Don't be fooled, this sweet face can mean trouble.

After yesterday's blog post I left to Owasso, got lost thanks to road construction, but, made it to my new hairstylist there. Normally, I wouldn't go so far for a simple haircut especially while recovering from a virus, but, my friend and stylist rocks my hair like no other so it's definitely worth any commuter related troubles.

After my stylist touched up my highlights (yes, I highlight, keeps my hair from going two toned when there's not so much sun outside to lighten my hair's natural highlights) I looked at my phone and saw a call from Jon. Odd. Right as I was about to call him back, he called me. I knew immediately something was up.
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Leo in a fit of boredom and lack of rawhide bones decided to climb into the bathtub and look for something to gnaw on. The object he selected was a razor- one of those cool five bladed ones that shave a man's face really nice. Jon managed to catch him doing this, fished out the bits of blades out of his mouth, BUT, two blades were not accounted for. Merde.

Several frantic phone calls later, driving back to Tulsa in about 13 minutes (after my hair was finished, at least Leo had good timing), picking up Jon and Mr. Chomps-A-Lot, and driving to the south side of Tulsa in less than 15 minutes, we arrived at the vet clinic where Leo was whisked away to the back right away for x-rays. I told Jon if Leo had to have surgery AGAIN I would lose it. I swear I was suffering a bit of PTSD sitting in the waiting room of the vet clinic wondering if Leo would be OK. I was taken back to June when I waited anxiously at the emergency vet clinic to hear if Leo's leg was ruined forever.

Fortunately, just like June there was good news. Leo wisely did not swallow the blades. So, no surgery, no recovery period, and no further set backs. Though I am still in the process of forgiving Leo for the minor heart attack I went through, I am beyond relieved that we have once again dodged the worse case scenario bullet.

Let's just hope we don't have to do any more bullet dodging. Right Leo??

Le Sigh

2010-11-20T09:22:00.003-06:00

My dearest friends, (if you're still out there) I owe you blog posts. Too many to count! I don't know what's been happening lately, but, to say my life has been hectic is a major understatement. Just in one week I've been to Arkansas and back, had a birthday, worked on getting a big present ready for my dance instructor, had a friend get injured, go to the ER, and have surgery (she's fine btw thank goodness), had work, and to top it all off managed to get a stomach virus early Thursday morning that I'm still getting over (today it just feels like I have a yucky cold).

When did life manage to get so busy?! Hope you all are well!!

Things That Make Me Smile

2010-11-11T21:29:00.003-06:00

Yummmmm....

Leo (and I's) birthday is five days away, but, as two other Service Dogs in Training have had recent birthdays to celebrate being around for a year Madoc's mamma decided to bake a cake and bring dog goodies to celebrate at today's class. I was so surprised and delighted and more than happy to help eat up that delicious cake. Afterall, it's really not to early to start celebrating is it?

They Call Me...

2010-11-07T11:27:00.003-06:00

Sorry! I promise I didn't forget to name Newbie, just got a wee bit distracted and didn't get around to telling you all. I do have a variety of good excuses I promise! ;-) So without further adieu....

Drum roll please....

His name is Tybalt!! Most of the time we call him Tibby or Mr Tibbs (in our best Sydney Poitier accent of course!). Jon thought of his name as I wanted a good Shakespearean name that I could also get a cute nickname from. Tybalt was mentioned and Jon's theatre training reminded him that there was a Tybalt character in another play who was known as 'The Prince of Cats'. Perfect.

Tibby, has totally fit in around here. It's almost as if he's been here from the get go. Mina and him play extremely well and while he's still a bit jumpy when the dogs get revved up, he doesn't mind the dogs being near him as long as they're pretty calm. In fact, Louie loves his Tibby especially at night when they both like to get on the bed to sleep. Louie can even groom him a little bit! Soooo cute. Tybalt is a great addition, he's healthy, growing well, and handles most situations with ease. Love, love that I found this little guy and he has become a great member of my little 'family'.

Desperate Times...

2010-11-03T19:48:00.002-05:00

I knew it would come, I mean how could it not? Working with small children one is bound to pick up a bug or two. Intitially, I blamed my fatigue and headache on PMS, started taking some evening primrose oil for that I realized I was getting a bug. The sniffles are in full swing and so is my mini-pharmacy of homeopathic and over the counter remedies. I definitely need more sleep, but, I'm thinking I may have caught it in time. Which is good, very, very good.

That said to clear up the sniffles Jon and I decided on Indian food tonight. And what do you know, the bottle of Ghost Pepper sauce Jon bought on Amazon showed up at his house. Being known for its off the charts capsaicin searing qualities I put two drops of it in my Indian food, hoping that would help clear up my head a bit.

This has warnings on it... seriously

It worked, well I'm afraid. I only put in two drops in it as a little goes a long, LONG way. My lips still feel as if the top layer of skin was chemically 'peeled' off, though... which is an interesting sensation. What can I say? I like the spice and I love to breathe through my nose even more. Though I'm sure the smell of this stuff would make most tear up I can say that the burn didn't bug that much! Which either makes me a mutant, just plain weird, or insane. Or maybe a bit of everything?

Good Intentions

2010-11-01T20:11:00.004-05:00

I was going to blog about my Halloween weekend, I was. I had some pictures taken by my phone (as Jon needs his camera at work... darn it... bye bye nice camera for a bit) and some witty commentary all ready to go. What prevented this from happening you wonder? Waking up. Mind you it wasn't a horrible day, it just was... a Monday.

In short, today I have/did...

Woke up thirty minutes late.

Forgot breakfast.

Forgot my phone at home.

Left various items in classrooms at my job.

Dealt with Leo's butthead/stubborn moments all stinkin' day. I hate [dog] adolescence btw. Hate. It.

Forgot to lock the door to the teacher's bathroom. Guess how I figured that one out?

Did I mention I work with kids while going through all of this?

Came home to hungry and thirsty kitties, one little one so hungry he nearly knocked all of the food over.

Realize the dirty laundry will take over this house if I don't get on top of it NOW.

Manage to not seal a Ziploc bag properly thus causing Amish friendship bread dough to ooze all over the counter, and the floor, and of course on me..

Come to the conclusion that a post about the Halloween weekend was not going to happen, because dang it I wasn't in the mood.

Hope your Monday much, much better than mine. As for me, I'm going to drink some wine, fold some laundry, and hope that the world will leave me alone tomorrow.

Oktoberfest Part Two

2010-10-27T20:30:00.000-05:00

Post Performance Celebrations:

ie How to Enjoy Oktoberfest After You've Sweat Five Pounds Off

What better way to celebrate a fun performance than to get your German on, and drink some beer and have some good times at Oktoberfest. Ok, so I'm not technically German and I wasn't in a dirndl, but, I was in spirit!! Meghan and I felt the need to show our German-ness posing next to the beer stein. It's a bit kitchsy, I know, but, that dude on there is rockin' his leiderhosen like no other. How could we resist?

There are a lot, and I mean a lot of smiles after a performance. Especially, when you get to hang out with your friends to eat, laugh, and celebrate. Susan and Meghan so graciously posed in front of the tent we performed in to show how many good vibes were going on. Oh and yes, beer, there was plenty of beer to help with that; for the adults of course! I know what you all were thinking ;-)

Even the little ones joined in the good mood vibe. That's what I like about Oktoberfest, everyone seems to just be having fun. Sitting down, eating, drinking, watching the entertainment, or in some cases joining the entertainment (ie The Chicken Dance), and just enjoying the atmosphere.

How could I not put this picture up? I ask you... how?!?

The food at Oktoberfest is AWESOME! This strudel is heaven in a box. I never knew heaven came in a box, well other than one that contains decadent chocolate pieces, until Jon and I bought this strudel from one of the vendors. Oh.My.GAWD. It is soooooooooo delicious. The only thing that would be better than this is eating it in Bavaria. But, hey I'll take what I can get.

I would say my only complaint about Oktoberfest is the fact we only get plastic, disposable, cups to drink our beer from. While we do get to keep the pitchers (sorry, don't know how I missed taking a picture of that- oh wait yes, I do... I was drinking beer from it) I do wish we had the actual mondo steins being carried around by servers like the original Oktoberfest. Because of the puny servings I did have to two fist it at one point.

Which btw, do you know what kind of looks one gets when one is wearing a private school-esque skirt carrying around beer in each hand?? Too bad I didn't have an extra hand or I would show you what kind of looks you get when you're walking around in that get up beer hand in hand.

Love these people.

"Hey sweetie, what do you think of Oktoberfest?"

"Must have bigger beer containers!"

See even the young ones are on board with me here!

Ok, ok I kid I kid!! Please no angry emails alright?

Irish dance instructor + Post performance high + Beer = Hilarious modern dance interpertation. I nearly peed my pants I laughed so hard.

You can only imagine the bladder induced stress I had when she struck this pose.

Really, what more could one ask for? Great times, good laughs, tasty food and drink, wonderful friends, all at a fantastic festival. Now that's a way to spend your time after a performance.

Oktoberfest Part One

2010-10-25T12:57:00.010-05:00

The Performance

Tulsa's Oktoberfest is a big deal around this area. It is run by the German American Society of Tulsa (GAST) and is in fact considered one of the best Oktoberfest's in America (somewhere in top 10... something like that). It lasts five days, it is extremely well attended by Tulsans and people from all around, there's loads of entertainment for children and adults, good food, bands and entertainers from Germany, as well as local groups (like my Irish dance school), and from other states. Like I said it is a well-run big deal and I think Tulsans are rather proud of this little fest. Follow the links for ore info about the origins of Oktoberfest via Wikipedia, and the Tulsa Oktoberfest.

Okay so after that little info filled paragraph onto the dancing! Or as I preferred to call it, 'Dear God we have to dance for an hour???' time. We danced in one of the smaller, 'family friendly' tents (yes, I know, but, it is America after all folks). Sunday is a pretty tame, 'low-key' day for the fest, but, still the tent was packed and the same went for most of the other tents I saw.
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GAST took very good care of us and even provided water and beer (woot!) for us! That said, the man in the above picture totally felt me up. Yeah... old man, in German garb, feeling me up pre-performance equals eww, but, it also means I have a funny story.

Jon was kind enough to tag along and take LOADS of pictures. These are some of the good ones of the performance. I will write up another post about the after performance fun. Oh and there was fun, but, I promise not TOO much fun. ;-) So sit back and enjoy the pictures and my random commentary about what we did.

This is why Irish dancers wear bloomers aka kick pants under their skirts. If we didn't have those there would be quite a bit of errrmmm... yeah.

You wanna know what I was saying during this break? 'Omg I am soooooo sweaty- ha! I need a towel!!' I was dripping!! And this was after just one dance. To be fair, it wasn't nearly as bad as the Scottish Games, but, it was hot enough.

Better than too cold I guess. At least the warmth keeps your muscles warm which does help keep your legs limber. Can you tell I'm trying to keep positive here? Good, just wanted to make sure.

Did I mention I love the fact we have a guy dancing with us now? He's so uber cool, from Canada, and a talented dancer. Guys get some really cool moves in Irish dance. Makes me wanna be a guy sometimes... well, at least when dancing. On top of the cool moves, they don't have to worry about the need for kick pants and tights. Almost makes it worth it right there.

One thing I love about our performance was the diversity in ages and abilities. That little one above is only six years old and she is so talented! She was the youngest and the oldest is over fifty. Very cool and motivating to share a passion for something with so many people from different backgrounds.

Hey look!! My turnout is getting better. Woot, woot!! I've been working hard on the building up my technique. While I certainly didn't dance my absolute best yesterday, I can see signs of improvement in places. Always nice to see some progress!

My instructor K.t and my good friend on stage together. They are extremely talented and downright lovely people. Side note: I want my K.t's legs. They are gorgeous!!

One of our younger dancers injured their toe, but, still wanted to be part of our Oktoberfest performance. So, instead of dancing she played some fiddle music with her sister. SO cute! Even though the sound wasn't always on (there were a lot of sound issues actually) the audience was very generous with their applause. And we dancers were grateful for a bit of a break too! It was a win win for everyone!

There were moments during the performance I got to dance and kinda be in charge of the younger dancers. Go me! You see that look on my face above? Yeah, that's me thinking. I had to call out what to do to the other dancers while dancing!! That was almost too much multi-tasking for my brain, but, hey a challenge is a good thing right? We stayed together really well and that's all that mattered.

The hazards of dancing with little ones though? They forget sometimes! It's cute though and in fact they could probably just stand there on stage and the audience would still eat it up. So while it can be a bit stressful to make sure a kid knows what to do on stage (and worry about them not doing it), it never ends up being a real ordeal as they are cute and up there trying their best. That's what really matters!

This is just a cool pic. That's all I have to say about that!

We ended our performance well despite a mondo big mistake, but, hey when it's onstage it's not a mistake right? So I rolled with it and I don't think the audience could tell anything went wrong. Performances can be hard, especially since we never get enough rehearsal time due to the fact we don't have our own space/studio yet. It takes a lot of focus to remember what is coming up next, it requires telling the younger dancers what's coming up next, etc, etc. However I find dancing up on stage is a good experience for me personally to work on getting over my stage fright and use it as a constructive way to improve my dancing.

All in all yesterday was fun. Even with little mistakes and issues like the sound cutting out during a dance (and coming back on in the middle of my dancing which was 'fun') I think the crowd enjoyed it and we were happy to have been able to have a bit of fun onstage.

Tee Hee

2010-10-24T20:56:00.003-05:00

Ok so I dance for an hour at Oktoberfest today and it was tiring, hot, and sometimes really long. That said, it was really fun and the good times had after the dancing were fantastic and made the hard work worth it. More to come tomorrow!

Post-Script

2010-10-21T21:44:00.008-05:00

I was going to find a picture of a person running with joy out of a building as that is what I felt like when I began my fall break yesterday. As I was searching Google images I remembered what annelise put on her blog the other day, the image above. Then I got to thinking (dangerous sometimes I know)... Despite how I am, at times, overwhelmed at what I see and feel due to my job and everyday life, it's good to be reminded of what I have. To pause, and think, and simply be grateful for all the wonderful things I take for granted sometimes.

With that in mind, the image above, just seemed like the better picture to post.

Thanks go to Anna Walker who filled me in how to post this image in such a way it all shows up!

Exhale...

2010-10-20T19:55:00.002-05:00

Crud, I can't upload some goofy and appropriate picture for how I feel right now. Darn you Blogger and your need to maintain your website!! Okay so onto why I wanna upload some funny picture I would've found on Google: Today at 2:30pm Central time I began my three day fall break (it'll be like a five day weekend with how things lay out). This week, a three day work week essentially, has felt like the longest week I have worked at school since I began my job. I went into this last day of work thinking that it would be a successful day if I and the faculty/staff made it out alive and the kids didn't burn the school down it would be a successful day.

Thank God, we made it.

While this week was agonizingly long, the previous two weeks didn't make it any easier. We've had a kid bring a BB gun to school (yeah, don't even get me started on the drama that ordeal entailed), particular students hitting other students and staff on a regular basis, a few getting suspended, a pre-k student, yes I said pre-k meaning the kiddo was no more than 4 years old, was expelled for screaming obscenities to the teacher while wielding a pair of scissors, in-house suspensions, regular fights on the playground, the usual daily quibbles and issues that come up day after day, and so on and so forth. All the teachers, administrators, and staff- all of us have been completely fried. Of course, the students just pick up on the mania and it feeds and continues the craziness. It's a vicious cycle. And I'm breathing a serious sigh of relief knowing it has been broken thanks to the Powers That Be putting in a fall break that I don't get paid for on the schedule.

At least for now.

The Name Game

2010-10-17T11:05:00.006-05:00

Too cute for words sometimes.

First off thank you all for the support! Louie is fine, he had some seriously bad bacteria in his GI tract (don't ask what had to be done to find that out), but, we have meds and he's practically back to his old self. Leo doesn't seem to be having any issues, so, knock on wood all is well around here. Phew!

So here are some recent pics of Newbie, mostly taken from my phone, hence the lower quality. I love, love this stinkin' cute putty cat. However, I cannot for the life of me decide on a name. I was going to go for Gambit, but, when I started calling him that it didn't 'feel' right. I've tried the ones you all suggested, but, again not feelin' it. Sooooooo back to square one I go.

What cat chills out in the waiting room at the vet's office surround by large dogs who are curious about him? Newbie, that's who.

I have issues about making decisions. I will sometimes send a waiter back back two or three times before I decide on something to eat. It's sad actually. Though, I have been lucky with pet names recently... My friend named Mina, Louie came with his name and it fit so nicely I couldn't call him anything else. Leo was named by a foundation who donates money to Therapetics. The last time I had to name a cat it took me four to five names to finally settle on Skittles. She was a good cat... I miss that cat.

Louie loves to play with Newbie. Leo hasn't quite learned to be as gentle as LouLou though. I'm sure he'll figure it out at some point.
Anywho, back to Newbie's 'nameless' status. I think part of the problem is when I was born my parents took two weeks to name me. That's right two weeks. They were arguing about the name order actually, as they settled on two names they liked, but, couldn't agree what order was best. See, they expected me to come out a boy, so they were a wee bit unprepared. Finally they flipped a coin to decide on the order- my mother won. The reason why they resorted to a coin toss was because the hospital called them to let them know if they didn't pick out my name asap my legal name would've become Baby Girl (my last name) on my birth certificate.
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I'm convinced I'm doomed to be indecisive about names thanks to this situation in the very early days of my existence.
Chillaxin' in the back of Jon's Prius. Forgive the mess, we were running a lot of errands that day.
I do not look forward to having to name a baby btw. I mean I can't even figure out a good name for this fantastic kitten. He didn't hiss or yowl in the car or at the vet's, just found places to chill out and purred when he was petted.* Ahmazing. He's playing with Louie and Mina like they've been best buds forever. It's so sad I can't think of a fine name for such a great kitten. Oh and Jon's no help at all, as he 'doesn't really care' what I name him. Gee honey, thanks.
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*sigh* This may take awhile.

Overload

2010-10-14T15:34:00.002-05:00

My gawd, it has been ten days since my last post! Egads (I've always wanted to use that word in a blog post) that's too long. I'm sorry my awesome blog friends I promise I haven't forgotten you. I also promise that there has been MORE than enough stories for me to blog about. So what's my deal you ask? Exhaustion. Pure and simple

I don't know how children manage to collectively go nuts, but, they do it and at my school they do it with a dash extra crazy topped with loony. Yes, I realize they all mean virtually the same thing, but, that is the best description my fried brain can conjure up right now. Last night I went to bed around 9pm. The extra sleep did me a world of good as today I've had one child throw a fit for a solid twenty minutes during lunch, I had to break up two near fights in another class, watch another employee show off a students teeth marks on his arm, and at the end of the day I discover that my friend and co-worker has to have a brain scan to rule out an aneurysm. To top it all off Leo was hyper and Louie's having explosive diarrhea all over the house and I must get him to the vet pronto. Oh not to mention there's the concern that what Louie has Leo may get so I gotta keep an eye on both of them and keep Therapetics informed of what my vet says Louie has.

Aren't you jealous?

That's just today people and there's still over eight hours left until the end. And just to let you know today is a pretty good example of what's been going on since last week. One thing after another. It's just nuts and I'm very run down by it all.

So, I have to miss Leo's training, but, I'm hoping to get my dance class in as I just need something to take my mind off of all this craziness. In exactly one week I'll get to be on fall break and I'm hoping to recoop some of my energy and sanity for that matter.

In the meanwhile, I'm working to get back into the blogging groove. I have pictures of the new kitten (yes, I kept him), Leo at the fair (no mullet pics though boo!!), stories about this that and the other all ready to be posted. Just bare with me, I'm getting there!

Little Surprises

2010-10-04T20:19:00.003-05:00

You see this guy? Yup, that's a kitten. And yup, he's sitting in the little kitty cube of fun that I own. So, yup, SURPRISE! I've adopted a kitten. I found him Saturday night. He was outside a friends basement apartment and didn't run when I picked him up. In fact, he purred. And it was pretty much all over at that point. My friend thought there was a chance that a neighbor was taking care of him (along with a gob of other neighborhood outdoor cat), but, I couldn't just throw him outside and check in the morning if he'd back. I took him home and my friend hasn't informed me that he belongs to someone else.

So, as I said, it seems I've adopted a kitten, or him me... you never know with cats. ;-) He's adorable, sweet, loving, low key for a kitten, is already beginning to tolerate the dogs and knows to leave my cat Mina alone until she's full accepted his presence (she'll get over it soon enough). He perches on shoulders, curls up by my face when I'm in bed, give kisses, and purrs every time I approach. I've already made an appointment with my vet and Jon is already talking baby talk to him. I guess he's staying put! I know I can deal with it, but, I've been wanting another cat for a bit now so... kinda biased.

The only problem is a name... what should he be named? Right now he's 'Little Guy' and that just doesn't roll off of the tongue nicely does it?

Thoughts? What does this name should this cute, loving, sweet face be called?

R&R??

2010-10-02T12:09:00.004-05:00

Remember when you were younger, and when it was Saturday came around all you had to worry about was the what television programs to watch and/or where you were going to hang out with your friends? I know I do, though it seems like eons ago. Now that I'm working more my Saturdays have transformed into days where I am excited, yes excited, to clean house and get things in order. I have developed some kind of weird neurosis about having the house cleaned up before Monday.

However, the past two weeks I haven't felt well at all thanks to the outrageous levels of ragweed and other allergens in there air. No kidding folks, it has been BAD. My roomie had to go to four pharmacies to find Zyrtec as so many people are desperate for relief that the stores can't keep that product stocked. Even Jon started suffering symptoms and the beginning of an infection and he rarely gets so much as the sniffles because of the pollen count. Anywho, thanks to constricted airways and a puffy face I wasn't exactly feeling up to cleaning. Now things got done here and there to keep the house from completely going to pot, but, it just hasn't been in any kind of order as I and Jon and my roomie have all felt lethargic and ill.

Well thanks to better living through chemistry (ie antibiotics, Zyrtec D, and steroids) I'm feeling my more alive and motivated to get things done. Today my Saturday will not be spent laying on the couch, it will be spent getting this place cleaned up and even some practicing in. I'm actually very anxious to get through it all. Is that sad?

And in the spirit of full disclosure here I will show you all what I am up against. Brace yourself folks. Please don't judge me and this house of yucky. If you are sensitive to pictures of what messiness looks like please look away now and do not return to this post. Okay you all have been warned!

Exhibit A: The laundry. Keep in mind this is before sorting and before all the laundry was moved to the basement to get washed. Laundry is one of those things that will never, ever end and I've come to accept it- to a degree. I still LOATH folding laundry though... that may never go away and I may have to come to accept it too. It a process I'm working through. They need a 12 step program for laundry I think... would help some of us out there.

Can you guess what clothing items are clean and which ones are dirty on the washer and dryer? I can't. Seriously, I have no clue on that one. If you have any thoughts do share!

Exhibit B: The Kitchen. This will be Jon's project for today. Lucky him!! I am really spoiled though. Jon cooks most of the meals and cleans up the kitchen. Though, he can take awhile to get to the dishes. It drives me nuts!! He has gotten better about it so I can't complain too much. Oh and before you click on this picture (I don't recommend it though) do know that all those black specs around the sink are coffee grinds. We won't go into the incident that caused them to be everywhere. Just understand that there is a legit reason for it and that is not little mold spores you're looking at.

Exhibit C: The Floors and The Dogs. My boys, ohhh how I love my doggy boys. They are so sweet, fun to be around, cute, loving, etc, etc. They are also the main culprits in creating a never ending trail of fur and destruction of toilet paper and toy remains on the floor (see picture below). I used to vacuum more than once a week, then I got a bit lazy these past couple of weeks and boy was the floor showing signs of neglect! Absolutely disgraceful, no excuse really. Cleaning the floor will be a major part of today.

Why did SpongeBob deserve to die?? SpongeBob lovers, I apologize for the graphic display of his tattered corpse. But scenes such as this (fur balls, toilet paper, shredded toys) are all too common around here. It's almost like the laundry in that fur balls are almost always on the floor. It's almost enough to make me give up keeping up with it, but, since my slight tendency towards OCD cannot tolerate looking at dust and fuzz tumbleweed I will take care of it! Just waiting for the medicine to open up my air passages for me to fully commit to cleaning and breathing while cleaning. It's the little things.

Well, at least some of us around here will get to lay around. Hope you all are having or had (for my friends in Oz and Asia) a Happy Saturday! I know mine will be happy once all this is DONE!

Leo At Your Service*

2010-09-28T10:48:00.004-05:00

A blog post midday?? Why you ask? Shouldn't I be at work you ask?? Yes, I should, but, I'm not due to the sinus infection that mutated into an upper respiratory infection-again. I'm on the mend and am beyond grateful that my roommie had a spare refill of an antibiotic laying around so I don't have to shell out more money to see the doc (my health insurance hasn't taken effect yet). I'm kinda cranky about being sick, but, I'm trying to think positive here! I will get back all my energy and motivation to get stuff done.

Now that my "I hate being sick" rant is over let's turn our attention to Leo. Specifically Leo's adjustment to my job at a local elementary school. My schedule has been changed a multitude of times already which can be frustrating and sometimes hard on Leo as a new room, students, and teachers can cause him to neglect napping and be a bit overstimulated. The first week and a half ish it was really rough. He wouldn't sleep, he'd get a bit agitated, restless, etc. Now that we're more in a 'groove' he's doing better and following commands better than ever. It seems the more noise and the more we have to do in a day the better he pays attention. He still has his days/moments though, but, hey don't we all?

Leo's presence at school has gone over really, really well. The kids are in love with him. Whenever we're in the hallway the students will wave hello to him, ask me if they can pet him, and sometimes they talk to him as if he were just another student there. The first day I began cafeteria duty the kids in line began chanting, "Leo! Leo! Leo!..." (which had to be stopped before mass chaos ensued). Talk about cool. The art teacher has had the younger students make pictures of Leo and they now line the hallways. I've had children give me pictures of them with Leo (they also give me Zany Bands and pencils- score!). Leo is a rock star at school and I cannot help but think he is loving the attention.

I think the biggest impact Leo has made is with one particular student I work with. Due to privacy issues I cannot go into specifics about this one kiddo (I'll call him J for John Doe), but, I will say he has a lot of issues to deal with at such a young age. I've been working with J for almost three weeks now, for about an hour a day and it's so neat to see what has been happening. This student calls Leo, 'his dog' and he often reaches out to Leo to touch him- the action seems almost subconscious actually. The students have been told that there is to be no touching/petting without my permission (we also use petting Leo as a reward for good behavior), but, I am inclined to let J touch Leo when he needs to. His teachers comment on how much calmer J is when we're in the room with him and I know that's in part to Leo's mellow yellow lab presence. Animals can truly be amazingly therapeutic and I am so lucky to see this day after day, especially in the relationship that has formed between Leo and J.
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To say Leo's presence has been a positive one is an understatement. I love bringing him to work with me even if it means putting up with the little hassles that will inevitably happen with a puppy and training a service dog. It's worth it though, and to show that I will leave you all with this one very sweet episode from last Friday. The student, J, came with his classmates to the 1st grade class I was working in to read to the younger students and the younger students would, in turn, read to them. We allowed J to read to Leo and I (see picture above). Leo laid down calmly and watched him read, gradually falling asleep. After J read for awhile Leo woke back up and watched him again staying really low key; despite the classroom being noisy the area we sat in was a sea of calmness. J asked me something and I asked him to repeat it as I didn't hear it. J asked if he could give Leo a kiss. I said yes he could and J gave him a gentle peck on his forehead and Leo sighed and looked at him with contentment. What a moment to witness. There's an understanding going on between those two, one that I don't get to be a direct part of, but, one I am more than happy to have develop.

*That is Leo's first name. All the service dogs are give the 'last name' of 'At Your Service'

And We're Back

2010-09-26T10:39:00.006-05:00

Ohh last week, how you took it out of me. My apologies for my blogging absence! I got a bit sick, the kids all took crazy pills at school, and yesterday I had three places to be and Leo had hot spots on his paw so bad he hardly moved for a day (he's a lot better now). My energy is coming back and now I'm back to blogging.

So here's the long overdue post about the Scottish Games in Tulsa. I danced there a week ago and wow was I rusty- and HOT!

The Scottish Games mean that there are multitudes of men wearing kilts. Young and old.

I wanted to hug this old man. He was decked out and didn't seem to be bothered by the hot weather. Though I wonder if his legs itched in those stockings that day.

Thank you Lord for men who dress in kilts and do us the favor of wearing shorts underneath. From what I understand most, if not all kilts, are all wool. For their sake I hope they were wearing their light weight summer kilts. I have my doubts.

Did I mention it was hot out there last week? Like almost mid-summer hot. Summer decided to make one last stand and of course it was on the day we had to dance. As you can tell I was less than enthused about having to be there. I wanted to dance, but, I knew it was going to be rough as I had just started practicing again after a six week break. Add the heat in there and I just wanted to run. But, alas, the show must go on!

Photographic evidence that I love, love to jump. And my form isn't nearly as good as it was! The beginning of the performance wasn't bad. But, after about 10 minutes I thought I was melting.

We have a new addition to our little dance school and his name is James. I don't think I have to point out where he is in that picture. He's really cool,talented, from Canada, and one tough cookie for having to dance in that heat in black slacks and a long sleeve shirt. I felt bad about my complaints. At least I had a t-shirt on.

We danced two 15 minute segments. I was told that my face looked about as red as my skirt towards the end. Darn pale skin and my tendency to overheat! I think we all lost five pounds dancing out there. Apparently Irish Dance has about the same cardio impact of full on running- while I am no scientist nor doctor I would like to throw in my, 'YA THINK?!' in there. It was fun though, the crowd was delightful and forgiving of our rusty performance (first time the 'band' was back together and we rehearsed just an hour plus-ish before we arrived at the games). Thanks to Sarah's kids and hubby who showed up and watched my face nearly explode! lol And of course we must give Jon some major credit for taking pictures of the dancing and for taking me to get a cold beverage at QuikTrip after. We wanted to stay longer, but, the heat was making us both very tired so we headed out and sought relief in cool drinks and air conditioning. That said, the Tulsa Scottish Games were fun, bagpipes and kilts everywhere, games, dancing, and good food. What's not to love and enjoy?

The Constant Search for More

Catching Up- OKC Feis

Feis Peek

Feis Bound

Irish Dance Speed Bump

Making a House a Home

Lord Have Mercy *Rant Ahead*

Getting My Zen On

This School Week

Tv 'Stardom'

Summer Send Off

Good News Everybody!!

Lazy Sunday Finds

It's HOT

Well Poop

I Giggled

My Messy [Current] Reality

Chipping Away

News On The Horizon?

Le Sigh

Usually I Don't Ask These Things...But....

Rotting My Brain With Reality [TV]

Floating Misadventures

Hard Work

So I Did Something Stupid...

Irish Dancers Kick- Even on The Fourth

A Universal Truth

My Job as a Roller Coaster Ride - Sans the Puke

Dog Days of Summer

Not the Post I Intended to Write Today

All Leo, All the Time

Ch-ch-changes!

Guess Who's Back?

The Hardest Holiday

When It Rains It Pours, Literally and Figuratively

In Which Reality Crashes the Party... And It's Ok

Travel Tips- As In I Need Them!

The Long Overdue Leo Post

The Ups and Downs of Teaching... Condensed Version

Catharsis...aka Long Winded Post Aboout Everything

[Working On] Getting My Groove Back

St. Patty's Day Blues

And There Was Rejoicing.. And Other Thoughts

So I Had Surgery...

Eye Update aka Action Plan

Diagnosis- Don't freak out

Loosing Sight... Literally

Happy Valentine's Day

Why I Do What I Do

Reminder

We Don't Do [this much] Snow in Oklahoma

Snowmaggedonmonsterpocolypse- Say That Ten Times Fast

Oh hai!

*Giggle*

Coping Mechanisms

What Not to Be

Contented Sigh

Collapse

Happy New Year [Party that is]

Bring on 2011!!

Happy Blog-versary!!

Christmas 'Hangover'

A Very Merry Christmas Indeed

Twelve Christmas Memories: Part V

Twelve Christmas Memories: Round IV

A Little Interlude

Quickie

Twelve Christmas Memories: Round III

Twelve Christmas Memories: Round II

Twelve Christmas Memories: Part I

What Do You Say?

A Little Shout Out

Robitussin and Christmas Movies Help to Make the Season Bright..

Surely It Gets Better

Complicated

Follow Up

It Was Bound to Happen...

Adventures In Raising Leo

Le Sigh

Things That Make Me Smile

Lord Have Mercy Rant Ahead

Giggle