Wednesday, March 30, 2011

40 Days of Sacrifice

Somebody get me a soda...PLEASE!

Mountain Dew. Cherry Dr. Pepper. Really cold can of Coke.

These are what I dream about at night.

It all started when I decided to give Jenny Craig a try. I wanted to lose a few pounds. I am not the most disciplined person out there, but I did get my soda intake to twice a week.

Then Good Friday rolled around and I decided to go ahead and give it up. My true vice in the world. I know it is not a real sacrifice, especially when you compare it to Jesus' sacrifice. I get it. But my devotion to my Catholic roots is not as strong as some and to be honest, Lent is the last thing I hold on to. So out went soda and meat on Fridays. How does one say ugh in a blog that really conveys my true discontent?

Ugh.

On the flip side, my dear friend is sticking with her sacrifice and giving up the facebook addiction. I think she is even finding out about others' addictions in facing hers head on. Hell she is even making me look at my own addiction.

Maybe that will be next status update.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Hi Ho! Hi Ho! It's back to school I go


After attending a writing conference this past week, I have decided I need to go back to school. I need to be among my people. I need to write.

In no way, shape, or form do I think I am a phenomenal writer. I am not even sure I am mediocre. I just know that I need to do this to fulfill something that is missing in my life. And it is not the degree that is going to fulfill me, but the academia and all the things that come along with it.

So I thought if I proclaimed my new goal to all the world wide web, I would be more apt to actually get my butt in gear.

Grad school Fall 2011 or bust...let's just hope I don't bust.

PS- Later I will be "publishing" my travel writing from the workshop. Stay tuned.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

(Smack! Smack!) I. Can't. Find. A. Vein. (Smack! Smack!)


So I have a friend who is an addict. In fact, her latest blog is on this very topic. But she has quit...almost cold turkey.

As she talks about giving up Facebook for lent, all I can do is commend her vigorously. Some people give her a hard time for still getting on for 5 minutes a day, but C'MON! Could you turn off the smack for 40 days and nights? I mean it is a known fact, or at least quote by an actor in The Social Network, that 91% of people who log on, come back.

I come back. And back. And back again. Sometimes all in the same 5 minutes depending what is going on in my life.

Now, don't get me wrong, I am not Lindsey Lohan status...yet. I don't need FB Rehab in the Hollywood Hills. I can go on a cruise and not pay for Wi-fi to check or update my status and photos, but you can be darn skippy that the FIRST moment we dock back in the states, I will be catching up on all the stauses I missed.

So here I sit and I am already thinkin' about next year and if I could give up the addiction for 57,400 minutes (granted I give myself 5 minutes a day). Will I dream about my first status following Easter day? Will I start writing other Facebook regulars' statuses in my head.

Jennifer E.S.: Need coffee now.

Naomi S: Amanda is the bestest friend in the whole wide world.

Tiffany M.F.: I have the best Pampered Chef deal for you yet.

(Okay, so one of those might not be a real depiction of an actual Facebook status).

I think I am going to wait and see how Amber does. It is Day 2 and she has already called me about "How disconnected from the world she is."

That being said, she is strong willed and loves to prove people wrong when they doubt her.

That also being said, I am a weak human being and love my facebook time.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Go ahead and cut off my fingers...


So is this what I have to look forward to? Will I now be fired for expressing my views? For practicing my 1st Ammendment Right?

As a high school teacher, I find this absolutley insane! I love how we hold teachers to such a higher degree than we even hold ourselves. Are we not allowed to complain about our observations? Are our first ammendment rights null and void because we are paid with tax dollars? The truth of the matter is, students as a whole have stopped thinking for themselves. They have become lazy. And the students aren't the only ones disengaged...the parents are too! I'd love to give a benchmark test that measures a parent's parenting skills.
Peruse the internet and see how many blogs there are that feature people complaining about their job. It doesn't mean they hate their job, it means they had a bad day or a person who upset them. Does it mean that they should be fired? Better yet, next time I hear a parent openly complain about their child I will call up GMA and make sure that the parent is ridiculed by a mass of people who have no idea what they are talking about!


Monday, February 14, 2011

Zzzzzzzz...

I am tired. I have been really trying to be a better blogger, but I am convinced that the days are truly getting shorter.
At 930pm, I am exhausted. I am usually asleep by 945. And let's not talk about the alarm going off at 5am. It is too much to comprehend.
So until I wake out of my slumber (which will hopefully be this weekend when the hubs returns), I will blog less and maybe sleep more...doubt it.

Friday, January 28, 2011

Who am I to Judge?


I have an ugly confession...

I
Can
Be
Judgy.

I know, I know, we all are, but it isn't until very recently, that I realized how judgy I can be.

But before I start this blog, I must apologize in advance because I am sure that I am going to offend someone and for that I am sorry in advance.

As many of you know (and if you don't you must not have read my other posts), I am a teacher of the up and coming generation. While sometimes I wish that I taught the 7 year olds, I teach the 14-20 year olds...which means I have a plethera things to judge.

By the way, stay with me, I promise this post is not really about my job.

Anyways, as I was saying, I teach teenagers and with this means I sometimes teach teenager who are themselves having babies. It is a sad situation and I never really know what to say when I get the news. I never say Congratulations because I refuse to condone it, but at the same time I never put them down. The deed is done and now they just need to know that I believe in them and that I know if they work really hard they can still complete their education.

This is where the judgement comes in: Secretly I am angry with them. I know they will not be the true parent to that child. In very few cases do I hear about that teenager and her partner in crime being full time parents AND full time students. Yet, here I am expected to be full time mommy and teacher. Many of these kids (and no, not all) will never know what it is truly like to have to truly sacrifice. Often, their mom will take over many of the responsibilities and those babies often grow up only to repeat the cycle. This infuriates me. Until today...

As I sit here and mull over being a "single parent" for the next few weeks, I realize how blessed I am to have my mommy and daddy to step in, to babysit, to make a meal once in a while, to...whatever. I have never had to do what I do alone...by myself... The one time I did have to, kinda, was when I lived in Florida for a year. I was by myself with no help from mommy and daddy, but at the same time, I didn't work and I think I attended 10 social events without my daughter. (2 of them were with my hubby when my MOM came in town.)

HELL not only does my mom help with the Bug, but on Wednesday she is picking up my whitening trays at the dentist, and today she paid for me to get my brows threaded (which hurt like I don't know what!) So maybe the hubs and I are the Bug's support system, but my parents are ours. And that is okay.

So mom and dad...you may never read this, but I want to send out a virtual hug, kiss, and thank you. You can never realize how much better parents you let us be by being there for us.

And as for the babies out there having babies: know that it is okay to ask for help, but be truly grateful for it. Rise to the occasion of being the parent and know that the commitment is life long...on both ends.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

One day...


So I gave my writing class an assignment.

They had to roll 7 dice and whatever pictures came up they had to include in their next short story. The words: beetle, sun, magic, castle tower, tee-pee, The letter L, and cane.

I decided that this would be fun and that I wanted to participate too. Normally I don't share my writing with the kids. They know I have a blog, but I would never tell them where they could find it. I told one class that I used blogspot.com and I got "That is where the old people blog."

Like most, my writing is personal, but really, it goes deeper than that. I don't really want to be judged, ESPECIALLY by my students. I mean, would you? Would you want to put your words and thoughts out to people who still judge their peers by what brand of shoe they are wearing?

Regardless, I decided to participate with my wrting class and write a short story. We share tomorrow and you know what? As much as I am scared shitless, I am rejuvenated. I LOVED making myself write something that required characters, conflicts, and creativity. I don't even care if it sucks (for lack of a better word). Over the last 6 years, I have become so involved in teaching other people's words that I forgot my own.

This blog is the closest I have gotten to writing and it took me almost a year to write 8 posts. Re-DUNK-ULOUS!

I know I spent a whole post on bashing those of you with your new year's resolutions, but I think I might have to recant...

I resolve to write more. I resolve to sharing my creativity with the world...or my 6 followers. I resolve to making my childhood dream come true: publishing...something other than just this blog.

(And if I may toot my own horn, my story was pretty darn good for my first time back on the horse. Toot! Toot!...or Neigh!!!...or whatever other cliche I can use here)