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| I've been wearing this exact same hat every day since November. |
Hack of all trades, master of none.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Half-Assed Weekend - January 30, 2011 (Post-Its)
So, I can't seem to form any semblance of a complete blog from my thoughts, so I thought I'd take a page from the JumbleMash book and make this a post-it post.
Friday, January 28, 2011
4 O'Clock and All's Well
So, yesterday's post was decidedly unfunny and may have given the impression that I am currently unhappy. My bad. I actually am happy. I have a wonderful marriage with a man I love more than I ever thought possible and who loves me just the same. We make good money. We have a wonderful home and 3 beautiful kitties. So really, I have it made. There are just certain aspects of life that stink right now, namely cold weather, sleep deprivation, and busyness from work/school.
I promise you this, though. Come late March/early April, you'll be reading a different blog. Hubby and I have a romantic getaway booked for the last week in March. My b-day is that Saturday. I'll be starting my last quarter as an undergrad (haha. I just typed undergard by accident) which should consist of just 2 classes and NO classroom observations (Praise Jeebus). And, at long last, the weather will be getting warm and this makes me a much more amiable geek. For one, I'll get to start riding my motorcycle again and riding that thing makes me feel sexy and awesome in a totally bad-ass kind of way.
I think yesterday's self-loathing woe-is-me diatribe was primarily a result of sleep deprivation and an unforgettable experience earlier in the week. This quarter my classroom observations are with 7th and 8th grade Language Arts classes in an elementary school. I'm obtaining a license to teach high school, but that license includes grades 7-12 and that is why I'm stuck with middle school. It's normally not so bad because the regular teacher has great classroom management skills, but on Tuesday, we had a sub. I know you all remember what it's like to have a sub. Now think about what it was like to have on in middle school, add a 99% poverty level and a pinch of a really unorthodox system for discipline and you have the makings of a nightmare. Literally. The goings-on of that day haunted my sleep for the next two days.
The sub was a bit older, likely in her 60s and seemed to be...well...out of touch with the reality of who these students were. She thought it would be wise to have storytelling time. With 13 and 14 year olds. Well...stories were certainly told. One involved an orgy in a spaceship. Another involved an apparently true story of a 13-year-old boy getting high, going to the pool, stealing an iPod, 150 bucks, and a camera and then getting arrested and forced to do community service. For a while, Miss Sub thought it would be a good idea to "show them how it's done." To put it mildly, it was an unmitigated disaster. Every other line of the story was followed by "Quiet! I'm trying to teach you how to tell a story!" Did the demon spawn oblige? Of course not. Did she keep telling the lame story anyway? Of course she did. It was an unparalleled 6 hours of torture. More than one student comment that I looked bored. I tried my best to hide it, but to no avail. I strongly considered banging my head against the wall, but thought it would be decidedly unprofessional and thought better of it.
Had I been a student teacher instead of just an observer, I would've just told the sub to sit down and take charge myself. But I'm not a student teacher. I'm not technically supposed to be teaching these kids on my own. It's not in the course description and school administration discourages it. But I have to say, just sitting there and watching all this go down made me seriously doubt my goal of becoming a teacher for a while. But then I realized, I pick up on social cues. I knew this kids were utterly uninterested in what was going on and I would have the common sense to change the plan. Actually, I have the common sense to know it was a bad idea from the get-go.
So that little whirlwind of terror easily brought down my whole week. I'm still recovering. I'm dreading my next day in the classroom with all of my being. If I walk in and there's a sub, I may very well turn around and walk right back out.
For now, I shall bid you adieu.
Word.
I promise you this, though. Come late March/early April, you'll be reading a different blog. Hubby and I have a romantic getaway booked for the last week in March. My b-day is that Saturday. I'll be starting my last quarter as an undergrad (haha. I just typed undergard by accident) which should consist of just 2 classes and NO classroom observations (Praise Jeebus). And, at long last, the weather will be getting warm and this makes me a much more amiable geek. For one, I'll get to start riding my motorcycle again and riding that thing makes me feel sexy and awesome in a totally bad-ass kind of way.
I think yesterday's self-loathing woe-is-me diatribe was primarily a result of sleep deprivation and an unforgettable experience earlier in the week. This quarter my classroom observations are with 7th and 8th grade Language Arts classes in an elementary school. I'm obtaining a license to teach high school, but that license includes grades 7-12 and that is why I'm stuck with middle school. It's normally not so bad because the regular teacher has great classroom management skills, but on Tuesday, we had a sub. I know you all remember what it's like to have a sub. Now think about what it was like to have on in middle school, add a 99% poverty level and a pinch of a really unorthodox system for discipline and you have the makings of a nightmare. Literally. The goings-on of that day haunted my sleep for the next two days.
The sub was a bit older, likely in her 60s and seemed to be...well...out of touch with the reality of who these students were. She thought it would be wise to have storytelling time. With 13 and 14 year olds. Well...stories were certainly told. One involved an orgy in a spaceship. Another involved an apparently true story of a 13-year-old boy getting high, going to the pool, stealing an iPod, 150 bucks, and a camera and then getting arrested and forced to do community service. For a while, Miss Sub thought it would be a good idea to "show them how it's done." To put it mildly, it was an unmitigated disaster. Every other line of the story was followed by "Quiet! I'm trying to teach you how to tell a story!" Did the demon spawn oblige? Of course not. Did she keep telling the lame story anyway? Of course she did. It was an unparalleled 6 hours of torture. More than one student comment that I looked bored. I tried my best to hide it, but to no avail. I strongly considered banging my head against the wall, but thought it would be decidedly unprofessional and thought better of it.
Had I been a student teacher instead of just an observer, I would've just told the sub to sit down and take charge myself. But I'm not a student teacher. I'm not technically supposed to be teaching these kids on my own. It's not in the course description and school administration discourages it. But I have to say, just sitting there and watching all this go down made me seriously doubt my goal of becoming a teacher for a while. But then I realized, I pick up on social cues. I knew this kids were utterly uninterested in what was going on and I would have the common sense to change the plan. Actually, I have the common sense to know it was a bad idea from the get-go.
So that little whirlwind of terror easily brought down my whole week. I'm still recovering. I'm dreading my next day in the classroom with all of my being. If I walk in and there's a sub, I may very well turn around and walk right back out.
For now, I shall bid you adieu.
Word.
For Granted and Wee Bit Wednseday
I think a lot of times, people take some of the most basic of luxuries for granted. It's easy to do thanks to that basic nature, but sometimes life reveals those basics to be worth their weight in gold (and gold is at it's highest price ever so that's a lot of change).
There are two things in life that I think many people take for granted. I know I did pretty much my entire life until this last year and a half. Those two things are time and sleep. A year and a half ago, I started my journey to become a teacher. I enrolled at the local university (from which I had already obtained an utterly useless BA in Art) full time in Integrated Language Arts. Somehow a part of me thought it would be the same this time as it was before. Well, it's not. Before, I was 18-22 years old. I was single. I was still financially dependent on my parents (except for maybe the last few quarters). I worked part time, the most hours I worked being about 16/week. I had 2-3 roommates at any given time to share housing costs with. Things are a little different now. I'm almost 27 years old. I'm married. I get no financial assistance from my parents whatsoever. I work full time, third shift. I have a husband, but no additional roommates to share housing costs with.
I once said in an earlier blog that I had recently read the blog I wrote during college and found it comical. Here's why: I spent most of my blog complaining about not having enough free time, being too busy, being tired, and of course, being single. Now, I'm quite glad to legitimately be rid of that last complaint, but regarding the first three - I was full of it. Back then I had ample free time. I had enough time to take naps, watch movies repeatedly, hang out with friends (a lot), be super involved in campus organizations and my church. Somehow, I would sometimes get burned out. What a load of waffle. I don't really have time for any of that now. I miss hanging out with my friends. I get to spend time with Hubby, but not a whole lot really. And sleep...
Sleep might be the most precious commodity at this point in my life. I've always felt that sleep is important, but that rings true now more than ever. I came into work tonight on about 2 1/2 hours of sleep. This has become a regular thing for me, and if you've never experienced that kind of regular sleep deprivation, it sucks. To me, having to force myself to stay awake, whether it be for work, class, observations, homework, whatever, when I'd really rather sleep is one of the most frustrating things ever. What really sucks is my lack of sleep kinda throws off every other aspect of my life. It makes me grouchy which makes me snap at Hubby. It makes me tired (duh) which makes me not want to do things like laundry or dishes which makes our house a wreck (let me be clear about something - I am not the only one that does this stuff. Hubby definitely does his fair share, but he is in the same boat as me - full time student with a full time job). It makes me not hang out with friends because I'm either just too tired and lethargic or I'm actually asleep for a change. It sucks. I hate it.
Right now the deck is totally stacked against me in terms of happiness. It's winter which we've already established that I despise. And right now, I'm right smack dab in the middle of my 3 year journey to teach. I've been at it a year and a half. I'm tired. I'm worn out. I'm losing my fervor for my goal because that goal still feels so far away. I think once I get passed next quarter and FINALLY become a grad student instead of a 6th year senior, that I'll get a little more pep in my step. I hope so.
So why am I telling you this? Well, I wanted to tell someone. Plus, it has a lot to do with why I never update Monday through Thursday. I'm tired and I'm busy. Although I'm off from work, I tend to milk every free moment at home for either sleep, time with Hubby, time to clean, or if I'm lucky, time to just relax.
So now to make up for my pity party, I shall do Wee Bit Wednesday, a couple days late:
{one} how tall are you? 5' 3.25" Yeah, I'm the type to add the .25"
{two} besides bills, what do you spend most of your money on? Gas, food, and books.
{three} what are your three favorite websites? Thinkgeek, Etsy, The Oatmeal
{four} what brand of tennis shoes do you prefer? Converse Chuck Taylors and Sketchers
{five} what food can you absolutely not stand to eat? Yogurt. It makes me gag.
{six} How many pairs of jeans do you own? 2 and I can't wear either of them currently.
{seven} if you could have any job, what would it be? I'd be Lady Gaga, but less weird about it. Britney Spears but less slutty about it. I guess I'd be Kelly Clarkson or Taylor Swift.
{eight} have you ever ridden in an ambulance? Yep. I hope to never repeat the experience.
{nine} how many pillows do you sleep with? Dos.
{ten} on a scale of 1-5, how organized are you? 3ish. I'm organized when I want to be and I have the time.
There are two things in life that I think many people take for granted. I know I did pretty much my entire life until this last year and a half. Those two things are time and sleep. A year and a half ago, I started my journey to become a teacher. I enrolled at the local university (from which I had already obtained an utterly useless BA in Art) full time in Integrated Language Arts. Somehow a part of me thought it would be the same this time as it was before. Well, it's not. Before, I was 18-22 years old. I was single. I was still financially dependent on my parents (except for maybe the last few quarters). I worked part time, the most hours I worked being about 16/week. I had 2-3 roommates at any given time to share housing costs with. Things are a little different now. I'm almost 27 years old. I'm married. I get no financial assistance from my parents whatsoever. I work full time, third shift. I have a husband, but no additional roommates to share housing costs with.
I once said in an earlier blog that I had recently read the blog I wrote during college and found it comical. Here's why: I spent most of my blog complaining about not having enough free time, being too busy, being tired, and of course, being single. Now, I'm quite glad to legitimately be rid of that last complaint, but regarding the first three - I was full of it. Back then I had ample free time. I had enough time to take naps, watch movies repeatedly, hang out with friends (a lot), be super involved in campus organizations and my church. Somehow, I would sometimes get burned out. What a load of waffle. I don't really have time for any of that now. I miss hanging out with my friends. I get to spend time with Hubby, but not a whole lot really. And sleep...
Sleep might be the most precious commodity at this point in my life. I've always felt that sleep is important, but that rings true now more than ever. I came into work tonight on about 2 1/2 hours of sleep. This has become a regular thing for me, and if you've never experienced that kind of regular sleep deprivation, it sucks. To me, having to force myself to stay awake, whether it be for work, class, observations, homework, whatever, when I'd really rather sleep is one of the most frustrating things ever. What really sucks is my lack of sleep kinda throws off every other aspect of my life. It makes me grouchy which makes me snap at Hubby. It makes me tired (duh) which makes me not want to do things like laundry or dishes which makes our house a wreck (let me be clear about something - I am not the only one that does this stuff. Hubby definitely does his fair share, but he is in the same boat as me - full time student with a full time job). It makes me not hang out with friends because I'm either just too tired and lethargic or I'm actually asleep for a change. It sucks. I hate it.
Right now the deck is totally stacked against me in terms of happiness. It's winter which we've already established that I despise. And right now, I'm right smack dab in the middle of my 3 year journey to teach. I've been at it a year and a half. I'm tired. I'm worn out. I'm losing my fervor for my goal because that goal still feels so far away. I think once I get passed next quarter and FINALLY become a grad student instead of a 6th year senior, that I'll get a little more pep in my step. I hope so.
So why am I telling you this? Well, I wanted to tell someone. Plus, it has a lot to do with why I never update Monday through Thursday. I'm tired and I'm busy. Although I'm off from work, I tend to milk every free moment at home for either sleep, time with Hubby, time to clean, or if I'm lucky, time to just relax.
So now to make up for my pity party, I shall do Wee Bit Wednesday, a couple days late:
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Half-Assed Weekend - January 22 (Music)
So a couple posts ago I talked about how much I love music. A few months ago, there was a trending topic on twitter that was #songsthatnevergetold. So I thought I'd create a playlist of such songs and share them with you to give you an idea of my broad tastes in music. Here it goes, in alphabetical order, because that's how I roll:
Yeah, it's 122 songs long, and you probably didn't even read through all of them, but oh well. I felt like doing it and it's half-assed weekend.
Peace!
Alejandro - Lady Gaga
All I Want - Toad The Wet Sprocket (what the hell does that mean anyway?)
Always be my Baby - Mariah Carey
Angel - Aerosmith
Angel Eyes - The Jeff Healy Band
Anytime - Brian McKnight
Backwards Walk - Frightened Rabbit
Bad Romance - Lady Gaga
Better Together - Jack Johnson
Blue Beard - Band of Horses
Broken -Lifehouse
Building A Mystery - Sarah McLachlan
California Love - Dr. Dre
Catch My Disease - Ben Lee
Come Away With Me - Norah Jones
Crash Into Me - Dave Matthews Band
Cry Me A River - Justin Timberlake
Don't Stop Believin - Glee Cast (No judging. It's a very spirited rendition.)
Don't Wanna Be A Player - Joe
Don't You (Forget About Me) - Simple Minds (80s movies rolled into a song)
Don't Dream It's Over - Crowded House
Dreamlover - Mariah Carey
Empty Me - Jeremy Camp (Unplugged)
Evacuate the Dancefloor - Cascada
Every Little Thing - Dishwalla
Everything You Want - Vertical Horizon
Father Figure - George Michael (Don't ask. I don't know why, I just like it.)
Feeling Good - Michael Buble
Fire - Babyface and Des'ree (This song was way hard to find for some reason.)
Flightless Bird, American Mouth - Iron & Wine
The General Specific - Band of Horses
Giving Him Something He Can Feel - En Vogue
Good Life - OneRepublic (This song is currently being used in just about every movie and TV show around, but it's good.)
Good Lovin - Blackstreet
Good People - Jack Johnson
Gravity - John Mayer
Halo - Depeche Mode
Hands to Heaven - Breathe (Look it up on youtube, you'll recognize it.)
Hanging by a Moment - Lifehouse
He is the Love - David Crowder Band
Home - Michael Buble
I Belong To You - Brian McKnight
I Could Fall In Love - Selena (Ever seen the movie? Only one that's made me cry every time I watch it.)
I Feel You - Depeche Mode
I Wanna Sex You Up - Color Me Badd
I Want You - Savage Garden
I'll Be - Edwin McCain
I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) - The Proclaimers
Ice Ice Baby - Vanilla Ice (Word to ya mutha.)
If You Leave - OMD (Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark)
In The Air Tonight - Phil Collins (Yeah, I'm with Mike Tyson on this one)
Invisible Man - 98 Degrees (Shush. I was in junior high when they got started.)
It Feels Like Home To Me - Chantal Kreviazuk (This is the song Hubby and I had our first dance to <3)
Just Another Day - Jon Secada
Just Dance - Lady Gaga
Keep Your Hands To Yourself - The Calling
Let's Get It On - Marvin Gaye
Life After You - Daughtry
Love Games - Lady Gaga
Love Story - Taylor Swift
Man in the Mirror - Michael Jackson
Mine - Taylor Swift
My Desire - Jeremy Camp (Unplugged)
My Friends - Johnny Depp (Sweeney Todd Soundtrack)
No Diggity - Blackstreet
No Surprise - Daughtry
Nothing Else Matters - Metallica
On Bended Knee - Boyz II Men
On Our Own - Bobby Brown (From the Ghostbusters II soundtrack. Yeah that's right.)
Only You - David Crowder Band
Open Skies - David Crowder Band
Over My Head - Starfield
Part of your World - The Little Mermaid
Picture to Burn - Taylor Swift (Peppiest break-up song ever.)
Pieces - Red (If I had to pick one favorite song, this would be it. It's beautiful in every way - musically, melodically, lyrically, everything. It's used in youtube shipper videos galore such as this one. I even got away with doing this song at church a few times. Loved it.)
Pour Some Sugar On Me - Def Leppard
The Power of Love - Huey Lewis and the News
Push - Matchbox 20
Put Your Records On - Corinne Bailey Rae
The Reason - Hoobastank
Rush Rush - Paula Abdul
The Seed 2.0 - The Roots (The sexual euphemisms in this song are quite funny.)
Sexy Silk - Jessica Cornish
Shameless - Garth Brooks
She Drives Me Crazy - Fine Young Cannibals
She's Got The Look - Roxette
Short Skirt Long Jacket - Cake
Somewhere In The Middle - Dishwalla
Song of Hope - Robbie Seay Band
Songbird - Eva Cassidy
Sparks Fly - Taylor Swift
Stand Out - PowerLine (From A Goofy Movie soundtrack, and I would argue, the best Disney song ever.)
Stomp - Kirk Franklin
Sway - Michael Buble
Take A Picture - Filter
Take You Back - Jeremy Camp (Unplugged)
This Is Me - Dream
This Woman and This Mean - Clay Walker
Thnks Fr Th Mmrs - Fall Out Boy
Thunder (Acoustic) - Boys Like Girls
To The Moon And Back - Savage Garden
True - Ryan Cabrera
True Blue - Madonna
U Drive Me Crazy - 'NSync
Until the End of Time - Foreigner
Valerie - Glee Cast
Wannabe - Spice Girls
Wanted Dead or Alive - Bon Jovi
The Way You Make Me Feel - Michael Jackson
What Would You Say - Dave Matthews Band
What's It To You - Clay Walker
When I'm Gone - 3 Doors Down
With Or Without You - U2
Without The Girl - Daniel Bedingfield
Wonderwall - Oasis
You Belong With Me - Taylor Swift
You Don't Know Me - Harry Connick Jr.
You Won't Ever Be Lonely - Andy Griggs
Your Guardian Angel - The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Zion & Babylon - Josh Garrels
Yeah, it's 122 songs long, and you probably didn't even read through all of them, but oh well. I felt like doing it and it's half-assed weekend.
Peace!
Friday, January 21, 2011
I Have Returned
So...I'm not completely 100% well yet, but I am functional and back at work, so I feel well enough to blog. Yay for that. I've decided to take a slightly different approach regarding my discussion of this week's illness. Everyone knows I hate winter. There will be more on that in blogs yet to be written. So instead of turning this post into a bitch fest over how much I hate winter because it makes me sick, I'm going to focus on the positives of this week.
1) Lost weight
I can't actually confirm this, as I have not weighed myself in quite a while, but considering I spent 4 days barely eating and eating mostly soup when I did, I would imagine that I dropped at least some poundage. It's easy to not worry about eating when you're just trying keep the will to live. Even when I felt a bit better, I still had that thing going on where I was all congested and everything either tasted like crap or like nothing. Food's no fun when it tastes like nothing.
2) Saved on gas
So I literally did not leave my home from when I got there Monday morning at 6:30 am until I left for work at 9:30 pm Friday night. That is the longest I've stayed in one place since I can remember and that means I didn't burn any gas whatsoever this week because I didn't go anywhere. Awesome. #1 and #1 also lead to...
3) Saved money
Between not buying any food for myself because I could get out of bed and not having to buy gas or going anywhere where I can spend money, I saved a lot of moolah this week. I spent a grand total of $8.97 over the last 7 days. I haven't done that in a few years. And that little bit of money was spent on songs I bought on my iPhone.
4) Caught up on sleep
This might have been the best part. The first couple days were rough because my temperature was around 102 which meant I felt like I was trying to sleep in the heart of a furnace, but with the power of Nyquil and flat-out exhaustion I got some pretty good and plentiful sleep this week which is good because I'm quite certain sleep deprivation was the big culprit for acquiring this illness. I was very very sleep deprived last weekend and that kind of thing can totally wreck your immune system. I'm pretty sure if there was just one tiny microbe of some illness anywhere in this county, I would've caught it.
5) Excessive TV/Movie watching without guilt
I watched SOOOOOOO much crap on tv and so many movies. I even had a 6-movie Disney marathon on Wednesday. I also got to watch the first two episodes of American Idol. With J-Lo and Steven Tyler as the new judges, I was intrigued. I had to check it out. As it turns out, I quite like them as judges. J-Lo is kinda like the new Paula but not as much of a dumbass. Steven Tyler...well, he's not really comparable to anyone. I like his style. He's not afraid to say what he thinks, but he's not a douche about it like Simon was. This is the first time in quite a while where the judges looked like they were really having fun and I think it showed and even spilled over to the contestants. I shall keep watching.
We also had the return of Chuck, but the ending made me so mad I would've yelled had I not been nearly comatose. I need to watch it again now that I'm coherent.
So there ya go. In all reality, this week was absolutely freakin miserable. I made sure Hubby slept in our guest bedroom and wouldn't even let him touch me because this thing was evil and I REALLY didn't want him to get it. But it's mostly gone now. I'm still alive, so there's no need to be lamenting over it.
Glad to be back!
1) Lost weight
I can't actually confirm this, as I have not weighed myself in quite a while, but considering I spent 4 days barely eating and eating mostly soup when I did, I would imagine that I dropped at least some poundage. It's easy to not worry about eating when you're just trying keep the will to live. Even when I felt a bit better, I still had that thing going on where I was all congested and everything either tasted like crap or like nothing. Food's no fun when it tastes like nothing.
2) Saved on gas
So I literally did not leave my home from when I got there Monday morning at 6:30 am until I left for work at 9:30 pm Friday night. That is the longest I've stayed in one place since I can remember and that means I didn't burn any gas whatsoever this week because I didn't go anywhere. Awesome. #1 and #1 also lead to...
3) Saved money
Between not buying any food for myself because I could get out of bed and not having to buy gas or going anywhere where I can spend money, I saved a lot of moolah this week. I spent a grand total of $8.97 over the last 7 days. I haven't done that in a few years. And that little bit of money was spent on songs I bought on my iPhone.
4) Caught up on sleep
This might have been the best part. The first couple days were rough because my temperature was around 102 which meant I felt like I was trying to sleep in the heart of a furnace, but with the power of Nyquil and flat-out exhaustion I got some pretty good and plentiful sleep this week which is good because I'm quite certain sleep deprivation was the big culprit for acquiring this illness. I was very very sleep deprived last weekend and that kind of thing can totally wreck your immune system. I'm pretty sure if there was just one tiny microbe of some illness anywhere in this county, I would've caught it.
5) Excessive TV/Movie watching without guilt
I watched SOOOOOOO much crap on tv and so many movies. I even had a 6-movie Disney marathon on Wednesday. I also got to watch the first two episodes of American Idol. With J-Lo and Steven Tyler as the new judges, I was intrigued. I had to check it out. As it turns out, I quite like them as judges. J-Lo is kinda like the new Paula but not as much of a dumbass. Steven Tyler...well, he's not really comparable to anyone. I like his style. He's not afraid to say what he thinks, but he's not a douche about it like Simon was. This is the first time in quite a while where the judges looked like they were really having fun and I think it showed and even spilled over to the contestants. I shall keep watching.
We also had the return of Chuck, but the ending made me so mad I would've yelled had I not been nearly comatose. I need to watch it again now that I'm coherent.
So there ya go. In all reality, this week was absolutely freakin miserable. I made sure Hubby slept in our guest bedroom and wouldn't even let him touch me because this thing was evil and I REALLY didn't want him to get it. But it's mostly gone now. I'm still alive, so there's no need to be lamenting over it.
Glad to be back!
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Suck
In case you were wondering why I've disappeared yet again, well, I got sick yet again. This time, however, was far worse than the previous incidents. I've basically spent the last 3 days in bed and I'm still there. I've only gotten up for food, potty, and showers. I've improved quite a lot, but I still feel pretty terrible if that gives you any idea how bad it's been.
Anyway, typing an entire blog post on an iPhone is kind of a pain, so I'm gonna stop there. I shall return again when I am well.
Peace.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Anyway, typing an entire blog post on an iPhone is kind of a pain, so I'm gonna stop there. I shall return again when I am well.
Peace.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Friday, January 14, 2011
Music
So today was a good day. Hubby and I finally got the iPhone 4. I've been awaiting this day since last June. As I watched live blogs giving the details on the new iPhone, I was salivating and crossing every finger that by some miracle of the AT&T gods, we would qualify for an early upgrade. Alas, it wasn't to be. We qualified as of today so today we upgraded. Here's the short of it: it's magical. Going from the iPhone 3G to the 4 is like going from a scooter to a supersport motorcycle. It's at least 5 times faster doing everything, plus all the extras like the front and rear facing cameras, the flash, the video capabilities, etc. etc. Love it.
And yes, I realize that it is slightly absurd that I got an new iPhone less than a month after getting an iPad. I have this incessant need to have the latest technology. It's a trait I apparently inherited from my grandpa (my mom's dad). He died when I was 2, so I never really knew him, but apparently he was pretty avant garde with gadgets in his day.
Anyway, to me, the best part of the new iPhone is having twice the amount of storage that I did before. Why? Because now I can put ALL of my music on my phone instead of just about half of it. Just in the few hours I've been listening, I've rediscovered some great music that I forgot I had just because they weren't in the few playlists I elected to put in my nominal 8 Gb phone.
It's reminded me just how much I love music. Music is something I've loved since I can remember. The first cassette tape I remember asking for was the soundtrack for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II movie when I was about 6. Hey, I didn't say I always had good taste. Anyway, the only career goal I've actually adhered to through my entire life is to be a rock star. Most of you probably don't know that I play guitar, bass guitar, drums, and piano, and I spent 4 years on and off running a sound board. Now, let me be clear, I am not some super musician. Guitar is my best instrument, and I'm mediocre at it at best. I am completely self-taught though. Only ever had one guitar class that I took for an easy grade after I already knew how to play.
Although I will never be a rock star, I did get to play for the praise band at my church on and off for about 4 years and even got to lead it for about 4 months before the church imploded on itself. Long story, not going into it. Anyway, that was August of 2009 and I've barely touched my guitar since. This makes me sad. :( <-- See. That's me. Sad. I don't have an abundance of free time since I've been in school full time in addition to a full time job and a marriage ever since that August, but I really got to make time to start playing again.
I'm not sure why I went into this big long spiel. I guess it's just me wanting to get my thoughts out. Final thoughts: I love music. Music is awesome. If I could make it my career, that would be the bestest ever, but sometimes passions are meant to be just that: passions. Perhaps if I was a way awesome rock star, I'd end up hating it and that would really suck.
Rock on.
And yes, I realize that it is slightly absurd that I got an new iPhone less than a month after getting an iPad. I have this incessant need to have the latest technology. It's a trait I apparently inherited from my grandpa (my mom's dad). He died when I was 2, so I never really knew him, but apparently he was pretty avant garde with gadgets in his day.
Anyway, to me, the best part of the new iPhone is having twice the amount of storage that I did before. Why? Because now I can put ALL of my music on my phone instead of just about half of it. Just in the few hours I've been listening, I've rediscovered some great music that I forgot I had just because they weren't in the few playlists I elected to put in my nominal 8 Gb phone.
It's reminded me just how much I love music. Music is something I've loved since I can remember. The first cassette tape I remember asking for was the soundtrack for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II movie when I was about 6. Hey, I didn't say I always had good taste. Anyway, the only career goal I've actually adhered to through my entire life is to be a rock star. Most of you probably don't know that I play guitar, bass guitar, drums, and piano, and I spent 4 years on and off running a sound board. Now, let me be clear, I am not some super musician. Guitar is my best instrument, and I'm mediocre at it at best. I am completely self-taught though. Only ever had one guitar class that I took for an easy grade after I already knew how to play.
Although I will never be a rock star, I did get to play for the praise band at my church on and off for about 4 years and even got to lead it for about 4 months before the church imploded on itself. Long story, not going into it. Anyway, that was August of 2009 and I've barely touched my guitar since. This makes me sad. :( <-- See. That's me. Sad. I don't have an abundance of free time since I've been in school full time in addition to a full time job and a marriage ever since that August, but I really got to make time to start playing again.
I'm not sure why I went into this big long spiel. I guess it's just me wanting to get my thoughts out. Final thoughts: I love music. Music is awesome. If I could make it my career, that would be the bestest ever, but sometimes passions are meant to be just that: passions. Perhaps if I was a way awesome rock star, I'd end up hating it and that would really suck.
Rock on.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Reasons I Hate Winter, Vol. 2
Yep. I suck. Apologies for my lack of bloggage. The quarter started last week and then I got sick, which makes this post that has been sitting in draft status since before Christmas all the more appropriate. Hopefully as I start to settle into my schedule a little more, I'll be blogging more regularly again. Anyway, here it is:
This will be an ongoing series that will likely last through mid-March because there is a whole slew of things that I hate about winter. Today, we're going to talk about health problems brought on by winter. I'm not talking about seasonal affective disorder. I don't think I suffer from that. I do get very moody and grouchy during the winter, but it's because of all the crap I hate about it. So here's your warning, after New Years, I'll be a bit of a sourpuss.
Anyway, of the few physical ailments that seem to be attached to coldness, the one that is by far the most inconvenient and annoying is dry skin.
I fall under the more common category here. I'm never gushing blood or anything, but every time I blow my nose, there's a significant swatch of red in what comes out. This tends to make me a little more susceptible to sinus infections. I actually haven't had one in quite some time *knock on wood* but the worst one I ever had put me in a hospital because I could not breathe. It was awful. I wasn't admitted or anything, but they gave me some heavy drugs and sent me on my way. I then had to take a final in my marketing class that afternoon because the douche prof that taught it refused to give make-up exams. Hospital stays were no excuse. A-hole.
Joint Pain
I know this sounds like an old lady problem, but I played a combined total of 23 seasons of volleyball, basketball, and softball. That crap will add a few years of wear and tear to those joints. So when the weather starts getting cold, and especially when it first starts getting cold, my joints, especially my knees and ankles ache with every move I make. It really sucks to feel like a geriatric at the age of 26. I don't really have this problem in the summer though.
The General Sickies
I think you know what I mean: sore throat, effed up sinuses, headaches, whatever. I always have a problem during the winter of just feeling crappy without actually having a legit cold, flu, or virus. Sometimes this crappy feeling without measurable cause can put me out of commission for a few days. Lack of sleep tends to increase the intensity, length, and frequency of the general sickies. This means it will probably happen even more now that I work third shift.
So all this to say, EFF YOU WINTER! I hate you and the crappy things you do to my body. I'm even planning on moving south to get the hell away from you. Maybe I should grab a bat and beat the living crap out of your knees and then drain your skin of any and all moisture so you know how it feels. Then maybe you'd stop being such a bitch.
This will be an ongoing series that will likely last through mid-March because there is a whole slew of things that I hate about winter. Today, we're going to talk about health problems brought on by winter. I'm not talking about seasonal affective disorder. I don't think I suffer from that. I do get very moody and grouchy during the winter, but it's because of all the crap I hate about it. So here's your warning, after New Years, I'll be a bit of a sourpuss.
Anyway, of the few physical ailments that seem to be attached to coldness, the one that is by far the most inconvenient and annoying is dry skin.
Dry skin has only become a noticeable problem for me over the last 5 years or so, but it's gotten worse every year. And let me tell you, if you don't have this problem, it is a BITCH!! It's to the point now where I am all dry, flaky, and itchy even immediately after getting out of the shower. I use moisturizing lotion and all that jazz, but it only goes so far.
Nose Bleeds
I fall under the more common category here. I'm never gushing blood or anything, but every time I blow my nose, there's a significant swatch of red in what comes out. This tends to make me a little more susceptible to sinus infections. I actually haven't had one in quite some time *knock on wood* but the worst one I ever had put me in a hospital because I could not breathe. It was awful. I wasn't admitted or anything, but they gave me some heavy drugs and sent me on my way. I then had to take a final in my marketing class that afternoon because the douche prof that taught it refused to give make-up exams. Hospital stays were no excuse. A-hole.
Joint Pain
I know this sounds like an old lady problem, but I played a combined total of 23 seasons of volleyball, basketball, and softball. That crap will add a few years of wear and tear to those joints. So when the weather starts getting cold, and especially when it first starts getting cold, my joints, especially my knees and ankles ache with every move I make. It really sucks to feel like a geriatric at the age of 26. I don't really have this problem in the summer though.
The General Sickies
I think you know what I mean: sore throat, effed up sinuses, headaches, whatever. I always have a problem during the winter of just feeling crappy without actually having a legit cold, flu, or virus. Sometimes this crappy feeling without measurable cause can put me out of commission for a few days. Lack of sleep tends to increase the intensity, length, and frequency of the general sickies. This means it will probably happen even more now that I work third shift.
So all this to say, EFF YOU WINTER! I hate you and the crappy things you do to my body. I'm even planning on moving south to get the hell away from you. Maybe I should grab a bat and beat the living crap out of your knees and then drain your skin of any and all moisture so you know how it feels. Then maybe you'd stop being such a bitch.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Things On Facebook That Bother Me Vol. 2
So among my first facebook post, I actually forgot the facebooker type that annoys me the most: The Chronic Misspeller. (According to the Firefox spellchecker, Misspeller should actually be spelled "misspell-er." That's dumb and I'm consciously ignoring it Even Webster spells it misspeller.) The more I thought about it, though, the more I realized that the Chronic Misspeller merits is own post because there are three brands of the Chronic Misspeller.
The Text Speak Misspeller
I read somewhere that the average teenager sends 3,500 texts per month. That is outrageous. I dig texting. I use it all the time. However, if something requires 3,500 texts to convey, I will pick up the freakin phone and use my mouth. It's much faster than my thumbs anyway. Anyway, this copious use of texting has resulted in what's called "text speak." I use abbreviations in my texts occasionally, but most of the time, my texts are spelled correctly and use correct grammar. Why? Because I'm striving to be an English teacher. It's how I roll. Anyway, if you want to use text speak in your texts to your other teenie bopper friends, go right ahead. Do not let it leak into facebook. ESPECIALLY if you're facebooking from a computer. There's just no excuse for it then. What annoys me even more is when text speak is mixed with real words. It looks something like this:
The Text Speak Misspeller
I read somewhere that the average teenager sends 3,500 texts per month. That is outrageous. I dig texting. I use it all the time. However, if something requires 3,500 texts to convey, I will pick up the freakin phone and use my mouth. It's much faster than my thumbs anyway. Anyway, this copious use of texting has resulted in what's called "text speak." I use abbreviations in my texts occasionally, but most of the time, my texts are spelled correctly and use correct grammar. Why? Because I'm striving to be an English teacher. It's how I roll. Anyway, if you want to use text speak in your texts to your other teenie bopper friends, go right ahead. Do not let it leak into facebook. ESPECIALLY if you're facebooking from a computer. There's just no excuse for it then. What annoys me even more is when text speak is mixed with real words. It looks something like this:
Saturday, January 1, 2011
New Years - Bah Humbug
I'm going to share something with you all that may surprise you and something that I've never really shared with anyone probably because I only realized it recently: I hate New Years Day. I don't hate New Years Eve. I dig the whole ball drop, kiss me at midnight, partying, countdown business. . . as long as I'm not stuck at work like I was this year, but New Years Day, once the first minute or so passes, is really just another day with a few exceptions. And it's these exceptions that make it suck.
New Years Day marks the end of the holiday season which sucks. I love the holidays. I've told you before. I even had a few more "Things about Christmas that are great" posts rolling around in my head, but thanks to my own illness, Christmas itself, and kitty illness, they never made it from brain to blog. Maybe I'll just save it for next year. But anyway, I do love the holidays. It makes the cold and crappy weather suck much less. Time with families, etc. etc. So all of that being over. . . I don't like it.
New Years Day marks the return to reality. What I mean by that is, work will be getting back to normal. No more cookies and candy and other Christmasy goodies brought in. No more parties. All those people that were gone on vacation will be back. Lame. For most of my life, it also marks the return to school after a break. This year it was a very much needed six week break. I'm not ready to return to that lifestyle. My brain can't wrap itself around the fact that I can't just sleep and watch tv and stuff during the day like I have been. I have to go back to school. . . I don't like it.
New Years Day marks the beginning of the longest part of Winter. I know Winter officially starts on December 21st and the weather sucks for at least a few weeks before that. But that suckiness is offset by the holidays. It doesn't count. Now...there's nothing to look forward to until my birthday at the end of March. February is by far my least favorite month of the year. I spent most of my live absolutely loathing Valentine's Day. I don't hate it as much as I used to, but I still don't like it. Plus, bad things always happen in February in my life. Seriously. I traced the history of it. I've finally realized that I should never attempt new endeavors in February. They will inevitably fail. So all that to say, Winter just flat out sucks from here on out. No holidays to make it less sucky now. I don't like it.
New Years Day marks the beginning of everyone's New Years Resolutions. I'd like to tell you that I don't fall into the trap of changing my behavior just because it's the start of the new year, but that would be a lie. For some reason, it's always easier for me to make changes along with other changes going on. So I'm restarting my endeavor to lose weight which is always more difficult at this time of year because: 1) Everyone else has the same idea. Gyms are at their busiest for the first 3 months of the year. By about April, most resolutioners have crapped out. 2) It's cold. One big reason I fell off the healthy wagon earlier this month was because the temperatures were in the single digits and I just didn't want to go out in that mess in order to work out. It'll be easier now that I'll be on campus for school anyway, but it still sucks. I don't like that.
So there you go. I'm not a fan of New Years as it is the beginning of what is the most unpleasant chunk of the year for me. I've already warned you that I will be a bit grouchier than usual and that grouchiness will certainly leak onto my blog. The good news is, when I get pissy, I get wittier and snarkier which should provide better reading material for you all. :)
New Years Day marks the end of the holiday season which sucks. I love the holidays. I've told you before. I even had a few more "Things about Christmas that are great" posts rolling around in my head, but thanks to my own illness, Christmas itself, and kitty illness, they never made it from brain to blog. Maybe I'll just save it for next year. But anyway, I do love the holidays. It makes the cold and crappy weather suck much less. Time with families, etc. etc. So all of that being over. . . I don't like it.
New Years Day marks the return to reality. What I mean by that is, work will be getting back to normal. No more cookies and candy and other Christmasy goodies brought in. No more parties. All those people that were gone on vacation will be back. Lame. For most of my life, it also marks the return to school after a break. This year it was a very much needed six week break. I'm not ready to return to that lifestyle. My brain can't wrap itself around the fact that I can't just sleep and watch tv and stuff during the day like I have been. I have to go back to school. . . I don't like it.
New Years Day marks the beginning of the longest part of Winter. I know Winter officially starts on December 21st and the weather sucks for at least a few weeks before that. But that suckiness is offset by the holidays. It doesn't count. Now...there's nothing to look forward to until my birthday at the end of March. February is by far my least favorite month of the year. I spent most of my live absolutely loathing Valentine's Day. I don't hate it as much as I used to, but I still don't like it. Plus, bad things always happen in February in my life. Seriously. I traced the history of it. I've finally realized that I should never attempt new endeavors in February. They will inevitably fail. So all that to say, Winter just flat out sucks from here on out. No holidays to make it less sucky now. I don't like it.
New Years Day marks the beginning of everyone's New Years Resolutions. I'd like to tell you that I don't fall into the trap of changing my behavior just because it's the start of the new year, but that would be a lie. For some reason, it's always easier for me to make changes along with other changes going on. So I'm restarting my endeavor to lose weight which is always more difficult at this time of year because: 1) Everyone else has the same idea. Gyms are at their busiest for the first 3 months of the year. By about April, most resolutioners have crapped out. 2) It's cold. One big reason I fell off the healthy wagon earlier this month was because the temperatures were in the single digits and I just didn't want to go out in that mess in order to work out. It'll be easier now that I'll be on campus for school anyway, but it still sucks. I don't like that.
So there you go. I'm not a fan of New Years as it is the beginning of what is the most unpleasant chunk of the year for me. I've already warned you that I will be a bit grouchier than usual and that grouchiness will certainly leak onto my blog. The good news is, when I get pissy, I get wittier and snarkier which should provide better reading material for you all. :)
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