I hurt all over

What a long day. I got up around 8- something. I took a shower and got ready to head to Hereford. I was on my way by 9:00. I spent the first part of the morning taping down the rest of the plastic to protect the carpet and taped the windows. I was getting ready to fill in a spot where some plaster had come off when I realized that my step stool wasn't tall enough. I left and went to Walmart and got a larger stool that has a space to hold paint and supplies. I didn't want to spend the money really, but it was well worth it in the end. I patched two spots on the wall that needed it and then began painting the large brick wall in the back. I'm going to need another coat where the big cow head was. White doesn't cover up dark maroon easily. I painted the white above the chalkboard wall and the wall where the door is. I also painted all the window and door trims. I didn't do the long paneled wall because of waiting for the patched areas to dry. I spent all afternoon going up and down the step ladder and on the floor so my body is very achy. I took some Aleve and hope it kicks in soon.

My refrigerator is working again for now. My brother looked at it - again - and said it needed to defrost - again. I may have to just make sure it keeps defrosting for a few days until he can pinpoint what is causing the issue. He said it should be a minor fix that is relatively cheap because it's not anything that would be major bucks. I've left the cover panel off and it seems to do the trick for now at least. He'll look at it again when he gets back from his trip to Albuquerque.

I've cooked dinner (Hamburger Helper) and now I'm ready to sit and do nothing for a while. I'm sure I'll be going to bed early tonight. I do have a book I'm reading, but I think total exhaustion will set in before long. I plan to head back to Hereford tomorrow and finish most of the painting in the room. I may not get to the office and storage room, but that can always be done later. It is so awesome to have a sink available in my room. I am such a messy painter (meaning I get it all over myself). Well, that's all the news in my world.

Before Pics

For those of you interested in pictures, here are some of my room before I started painting. This is the view of the room when you first walk in the door. This is the back wall. It is brick and has a giant whiteface head on it which is the school mascot. I think I'm going to get rid of the mascot and just paint the wall white. The wall on the left is paneled about 3/4 up and that is what I'm going to paint yellow and then leave the upper half white (but repainted). The back wall and left side will have all the computer desks along in an "L" shape.


This view is from the back of the room looking towards the entrance. The spot where a car can be seen is a big window and the car is painted on a wall in the hallway. The door on the left leads to an office area.

This is the chalkboard area and the office door is on the right. There is another door to the left of the board that leads to a storage room.

This is the storage room area with a sink. I'll be putting my mini refrigerator and microwave in here.

This is one view of the office area. The door in the back leads to the distance learning lab so it won't be used.


This is along the opposite wall in the office area. I think this will become the library for all the books and scripts we have for finding selections.


The carpet is nice. It's a slate/bluish gray color. Today I started putting down plastic so I can hopefully start painting tomorrow. I'm going to go first thing in the morning and stay all day. I still have to tape some of the plastic and do some clean-up first. I think it will be at least a two day job if not more. I may see if I can get Josh to come help on Wednesday.

Monday again

It seems that time is moving faster and school will be starting before I know it. There's just not enough time it seems. I got up around 8:30 and piddled on the computer for a bit. I got stuff ready to go to Hereford and then took Josh to work. I was going to go ahead and go to Hereford, but I thought that maybe I should wait a bit. I came home and did a little cleaning. I watched some t.v. I played some games on the computer. I'm going to head to Hereford in just a few minutes and see what I can get done. My brother is coming over around 5:00 to look at the fridge again. I'm going to dinner with my friend Kirsten tonight. Well, I better head out if I'm going to get any work done today. I'm taking my camera so I can get some "before" pictures.

It works, it doesn't work

Seems my refrigerator woes aren't over. It's to the point it's not chilling again. I don't know why. My brother wanted me to take the panel off on the inside of the freezer, but I don't have the right tool to do it. I tried using the hair dryer to defrost the part that froze over last time thinking it might be the same thing, but I really don't know. I'm getting tired of this. It reminds me of the heater problems I had a few years ago. The heater worked, it didn't, it did, it didn't and finally it did. My brother is going to Albuquerque on Tuesday and if it's not fixed by then, I don't know what I'm going to do. I can't live out of an ice chest for a week. I'm really irritated at this point. I've earmarked the extra money I have right now to get Josh a new bed. They money I have isn't even enough to buy a new refrigerator. I suppose I could finance it... but I'm doubtful that I could get credit thanks to the issues that remain on my credit because of my divorce. Oh, sure, I've paid all my bills on time, but most credit companies don't seem to care about that.

In other news. I didn't go to Hereford today. I went to church and then to the store to get something to make for dessert for the church picnic tonight. I took a nap and then got up to make cookies. That's when I noticed the refrigerator wasn't cooling like it did briefly. I made chocolate cookies with peanut butter chips. The smell is wafting through the house right now. They taste pretty good too. I'm heading to the picnic in about 30 minutes. It is just down the street from my house so I'll be able to walk.

I was thinking about going to Albuquerque for a few days, but if my brother is going, it might be too crowded. I feel a bit overwhelmed right now. I need to paint my room at school. I need to do work on the house. I need to figure out what's wrong with the refrigerator. I also have the trip to Lubbock coming up on Wednesday. This is something for Josh because he is passionate about music and a drum corps show rarely comes to this area. O.k. enough self-pity. I just need to focus on what I can do and quit wallowing in my misery.

Saturday's Activities

I went to bed around 11:30 last night and slept pretty well. No embarrassing dreams this time. I woke up around 8:00. I spent the morning watching t.v. and reading blogs. I had some breakfast around 10:30 and then asked Josh if he wanted to go look at beds today. He said yes, but was going to go back to bed for a while. We decided to leave around 12:30. We went to some furniture stores to check out the options available. He thinks that he may want to go up to a full size bed from a single, but isn't sure how he feels about having extra room. I understand what he means. I have a queen sized bed and I always only sleep on one side of it. So we looked for full size beds and there were a few, but they're hard to come by. We may even consider a queen size since it's only 6 inches wider. That would also allow for an extra guest bed should we ever get company again. We went to eat Mexican food around 2:30 and then decided to go see Harry Potter at 4:00. I checked paint at Home Depot and Lowe's but I still have no idea what to get. I may go up tomorrow and just prep the room for painting by taping the inside of the windows and repairing some peeling walls. I also need to get some before pictures so you can see the room as it is now. We got home a short while ago and decided that we're going to go to Lubbock next week to see a Drum Corps show. I paid for the tickets tonight, but Josh will pay me back for his ticket when he gets his first paycheck.

Josh is going to start cleaning his room so that we can hopefully get him a new bed in there sometime next week. I need to go walk tonight, but I already feel tired. I did do a lot of walking today going from store to store. I think I'm going to at least go turn on the air conditioner and try to cool things off in here.

End of the week

I can't believe it's Friday already. Time flies when you do more than sit on your behind all day. I went to bed at 10:00 last night and fell asleep right away. It was a good night except for a very weird and embarrassing dream. (I was embarrassed in public in the dream.) I woke up at 7:30 and decided to get myself up and go to Mass. I went at 8:30 and then came home for a bit until it was time to take Josh to work. After I dropped him off I went back to the school to finish up things there. I measured the room I'm moving into so I could start figuring out the placements of all the furniture. I used my Adobe InDesign program to create a scaled layout and measured all the desks and such so I'd know how everything could fit in the room. I can't decide if I want my teacher desk in the room or in the separate office. There's pros and cons for both situations. If I get more computers than I'm expecting, I created a layout with my desk in the office. If I get exactly what I requested, then I can keep my desk in the room. If I have it in the room, I can get work done on the computer when my students are working. If I put it in the office, I'll be able to have more computers which might be nice if I have larger classes. There's only one spot for the t.v. because of the cable cord which makes it annoying. But I had the same problem in my old room as well. They still haven't put carpet in there so I might get lucky and be able to get some painting done this weekend. I'm leery about choosing paint, however. I know I can go ahead and get some white paint because I'm painting the top portion of the walls white (well, painting over the dirty white that is already there).

I was at school until 2:30 and finally got everything done and ready to be moved - eventually. I came home and got a quick bite (McDonald's Happy Meal) and then went to Walmart to get some painting supplies. From there I headed out to the shop to pick up Josh and then came home. I made supper and then started my Friday night t.v. viewing. I craved some ice cream so I headed to Sonic to get a Butterfinger Blast, but was sorely disappointed in it. I think that they barely even put maybe a spoonful of Butterfinger in it. It was mostly ice cream with very few bits in it. I started typing this post around 7:30 but had to give it up for a bit when Monk and Psych came on.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do tomorrow. I need to get started on painting at school, but like I said, I would hate to get something that looks awful with whatever carpet is going in there. If I wait for the carpet to be placed, however, I may not have time to get painting done because the technology people are in a hurry to move my computer stuff. It would also be more difficult with carpet down because then I would have to put down plastic to protect the carpet. I also want to make curtains (or buy some and hem them) for the big window that is in the front of my room. (No, not sunlight, but to the hallway.) Josh still needs to see the 5th Harry Potter movie so we might try to do that tomorrow as well. By the way, Andrew, I'm so excited that you're reading the books. I know you'll love them.

And yes, Abbagirl, I am totally a nerd. Maybe not in "looks" per se, but I am a bit geeky. I mean, come on, first I was a total band geek (and still am quite a bit.) I also love technology and things that make you think. I like figuring things out. I mean, if I weren't a total nerd, would I go to the trouble to make a scale representation of my classroom? I also like guys that have some nerdiness to them. Maybe not outright total geeks that live for the next Star Trek convention, but I do like guys that are smart and know about computers and such. Although this is very wishful thinking, I hope that when the day comes that I get the chance to date again I can meet a guy with brains. No offense, but I think it would be difficult for me to date someone that isn't at least as intelligent as I am. I'm not saying that I'm a genius, but I would say that I have above average intelligence. Call me picky, selective, impossible or whatever, but I just don't think I could find common ground with someone that doesn't have a lot going on upstairs. This is regard to dating... I can be friends with just about anyone, but when you consider dating and eventually moving on to something more serious, I think that we all have some kind of standards whether it be intelligence, grooming, work ethic, morals etc.

O.k. I guess that's enough for now. I should be heading to bed soon.

Worn out and tired

I woke up around 8:30 this morning. I got up around 9:00. I got ready and then found some boxes in the garage to use for packing up my stuff in my room. I took Josh to work at 9:45 and then headed to Hereford. I started packing around 11:00. It was a very daunting task. I didn't realize how much stuff I had. I'm losing a good amount of storage, but I need to pare down what I have at some point. I packed until around 1:00 and decided that I was hungry and wasn't going to finish right away so I left and picked up Sonic for lunch. I came back and ate my lunch and continued packing. I had to pack and label everything that was to be moved. One of the technology people came to work on my computers (of course after I unplugged them and boxed the mice up) so I had to hook them up again. They'll be moving my stuff as soon as there is carpet in the other room. I checked today and they hadn't put down carpet yet. I'm in a time crunch because I need to get the room painted before they move the computer equipment because everything will be up against the wall. I think I've decided on a color (yellow), but I kind of want to know for certain what color the carpet will be before I buy the paint. I also have to let the computer people know where I want the computers set up, but I haven't figured out how I want everything placed. I also don't know how many extra computers I'm going to get so I can't determine anything until I know. It's basically a catch-22. I finished packing almost everything and left around 3:45. I guess I'm going to need to go back tomorrow so I can measure the room and figure out where I want everything. I may paint this weekend and see if I can get it done soon. I'd like to do it before they put the carpet in, but I'll bet they come and put it in tomorrow.

I picked up Josh at 5:00 and then went to the store to get a few more necessary groceries. I feel hot and tired and I just want to go to bed. I'm not even hungry. I should go for a walk, but I think I got my workout today in packing. I think I'll turn the air conditioners on and veg in front of the t.v. for a bit.

Mostly Dull Day

I thought about going to Mass this morning, but I was too tired. I had trouble falling asleep last night and didn't get to bed until after 1:30. I slept until 9:00 this morning but dragged most of the day. Josh went to work for my brother today. He worked from 10:00 until 5:00. I didn't do much. I spent most of my time on the computer. I made a rosary. I spent some time outside this morning cutting weeds that have grown up in the cracks in my driveway. I sprayed them with weed killer the other day, but I think they're too thick for it to be effective. I cut about half of them before it got too hot. I sprayed again and am hoping it will keep them from coming back.

Tonight I went to the movies with a friend and saw Hairspray. I thought it was really good. It makes me feel better about being a larger woman. (Though I'm still making an attempt to lose some weight - for myself.) I just got home and figured I should post something. Tomorrow I'm going to take Josh to work and then head to Hereford so that I can pack up my room and label stuff to be moved.

Another day ends

I am very happy that my refrigerator is again working. So happy I decided to not cook dinner. I picked up Thai for dinner and was good by only eating half of it. I also went walking again tonight pushing myself a little farther. Tonight I think I covered just shy of two miles. I need to start driving some routes and determine how far they are. I am making some play lists in my mp3 player so I can have music timed for the length of my walk. I really love that player. It was a very good investment on my part. Tomorrow I think I'm going to the movies to see Hairspray with my friend Kirsten. Josh is going to go do some work for my brother. I think I'm going to go to Hereford on Thursday and start packing up items to be moved. I'll also check out my new room again and see if the carpet is installed. I want to start painting soon.

It rained here today. I was hoping Josh would get the front yard mowed, but I guess it will have to wait. Josh's new phone came today. I was able to get it activated, but he is going to have to put in all his numbers in again. Normally you can transfer numbers from one phone to the other via the Sim card, but since his wouldn't even power on, they couldn't be saved. At least he has another working phone. I didn't upgrade mine. I figure I'll wait until perhaps I need a new phone or find something that I really want. I did fill out the paperwork for my rebate card. It will be nice to get a $30 surprise one of these days.

Fridge is fixed

And that is a relief. My brother came and took a panel off of the inside of the freezer and determine that there was too much ice build up when was preventing the air being blown into the refrigerator to keep it cool. We defrosted it via a hairdryer and then he put the panel back on. I plugged it in, but for about 15 minutes after he left, it didn't seem to work - neither the freezer or fridge part. I called him back and he told me to unplug it for about 15 minutes and then plug it back in. I did that and it still didn't work, but he said to let it sit for a while. Eventually it did start working so we don't have to live out of an ice chest any more. That's a relief. I was contemplating what I was going to do without a refrigerator. I was going to go up to the school and get my mini-fridge and bring it home temporarily. I'm glad I don't have buy a new one either. Now I can concentrate on getting a bed for Josh, and engine for his car, new tile for the living room... it never ends, does it?

I was able to go to sleep last night fairly well... until about 2:30 in the morning. I woke up with acid reflux and so I got up and took some medicine and then went back to bed around 3:00. I got up around 8:00 and went to the store to get some more ice for the ice chest. I also cleaned the kitchen, loaded the dishwasher and started some laundry. I was still tired after that so I got back in bed for about an hour. My brother finally got here around 11:00 and worked on the fridge for an hour. I've been watching t.v. and re-read the last few chapters of Harry Potter. There were things I needed to read more carefully so I could understand them better. Even though I knew what was going to happen, I found myself crying again. So have you finished it yet? If not, why?

Just when you think things are going o.k.

My refrigerator is broken. It's not the compressor because the freezer side of it is just fine. It has something to do with air not getting blown in from the freezer, but other than that, I have no idea. I hope my brother can come at some point and take a look at it. I started noticing it last night as my coke wasn't as cold as I thought it should be. I turned the "cool" knob up just to see if that fixed it. It didn't. Josh made cereal this morning and said that the milk was warm. I figured I had to do something so I don't lose all the groceries I just bought yesterday. I went to Walmart and got an ice chest and some bags of ice. I came home and put the stuff that I needed to keep in it. Now I should clean out the rest of the stuff that I can get rid of. I would, but I'm too hot right now. I also got some weed killer for the jungle in my driveway (yes, driveway) and I spent at 20 minutes outside spraying the weeds. I finally gave in and turned on all the air conditioners in the house. (You remember that I don't have central air like most normal folks) I also have to replace Josh's shower head at some point and give the dogs a bath. But I'm thinking it's just going to have to wait until the house is cooler because I'm actually quite miserable right now. I've decided that I don't care what my electricity bill is going to be. (o.k. I do care, but when your miserable, some things have to give.) And that's my day so far. How's yours?

Winding Down

It's been a long day. As you know, I didn't get to bed until 12:30 since I was reading Harry Potter. I had to force myself to stop knowing I had church in the morning. I went to the 8:30 service and taught the last of my lesson in the adult class at 10:00. I wasn't sure how it went; in some ways I didn't feel very confident. I have, however, received compliments on the lesson so I guess it went well. When I came home from church, I read from 11:30 until 2:30 when I finally finished the book. There are several things I want to go and re-read, but I've let another friend borrow the book so I won't get to do that for a few days.

I went to the store this afternoon and got groceries. Now that Josh is home I have to make real meals again. Around 4:00 I decided that I was tired so I took a nap. I got up a little before 6:00 so I could make supper before Josh went to the movies. I decided to not go to too much trouble tonight and just put a pizza in the oven. I had a slice of pizza and then watched a little t.v. I fiddled around with my mp3 player and had some issues with the program on the computer. I decided that I needed to do some walking again so I headed out a little after 8:00. I stopped by a neighbor's house along the way to give back a book they had let me borrow. (They go to my church and attend the adult class.) They invited me in to visit for a while so I did and it was very nice. She gave me the recipe for the beer bread that she gave me a while back so I'm anxious to try it. Unfortunately, I already drank my last beer a few days ago. Oh darn... I guess it's an excuse to get some more. (This coming from someone that isn't really much of a beer drinker.) Around 9:00 I left my neighbor's and continued on my walk. I did a circuit of about a mile. I couldn't do more since it was getting dark. I hope I continue doing this because I know I need it.

I came home, drank some water, checked email and blogs. I made another rosary. Now it's time to be thinking about bed.

Finished

I finished the book about five minutes ago. It was amazing. I strongly urge those of you that have avoided the Harry Potter bandwagon to go ahead and jump aboard. But you must, absolutely must read the books in order. Do not just go read book seven. I'm not going to give anything away but I will say some things about the book. My only disappointment with the book is the last chapter as it left me wanting much more information. JK Rowling is a true master. She tells an amazing story. So... go. Read. Now. Quit complaining. No, they're not just books for kids. I mean it. If you haven't read them you really need to. I don't care who you are. And no, you can't just watch and wait for the movies. The movies are good, but the books are far more powerful.

Just checking in

I'm still here. Josh finished the book a little before 5 p.m. today. I could have posted earlier, but I really didn't have anything to say. I slept in, watched t.v., read, and played games on the computer today until he finished. I started the book as soon as he finished and I'm now about 2/3 of the way through. I've been reading straight through other than going out to get dinner and even then I took the book with me while I waited for my order at Sonic.

I'm not going to give any spoilers. It has been intense and that starts early in the book. There are also some lulls as well. But there are some things that when you read, you get an "ah-ha" moment because of clues presented in previous books. But that's all I'm going to say. So, are you a Harry Potter fan? Have you read the book, are you reading it or going to read it? If you comment, please don't give anything away in the comments. Be fair to others that haven't read it yet.

I would like to keep reading, but I have to go to church tomorrow. I want to go to the early service and then I have to teach class this week since it was canceled last week. As soon as it's over, I'll continue my reading. Have a good night.

It's HERE!

We actually have the last Harry Potter book here at home. Well, Josh has it in his bedroom and I took a sleeping pill so I'll quit fretting over the fact that I have to wait until tomorrow to read it. We went to Hastings at 10:30 and people started standing in line around 11:30. They started selling at 12:00 on the dot and it took another 15 minutes to get through the line (and we somehow were close to the front). They had trivia questions, contests and some people were dressed as their favorite characters. It was interesting. I probably should have gotten two books, but I'm too cheap and I'll just have to be patient. I wanted to post tonight because there may not be a post tomorrow.. at least until I'm done with the book and that will depend on when Josh finishes the book. I have an invitation to go to a real party tomorrow night, but I think I'm going to pass on going. I'm such a nerd. Maybe that's why I can't get a date. I need to date a nerd and they're like me... they stay at home reading or messing with computers. Well such is life. Hope y'all have a good day tomorrow and I'll post again when I'm finished with the book. (And no, I won't give any spoilers away.)

My boy is home

O.k. I probably shouldn't call him "my boy." That sounds like he is 4 or something. But I'm glad to have Josh home and I know he's glad to be home. I finally went to sleep shortly after posting last night. I slept until 9:15 this morning. I headed to WT around 10:00 so I could get Josh's stuff and he could check out of the dorm. He was finished by 10:20 but he didn't have to go to his warm-up until 11:30. With some time to kill, I took him to the donut stop for his favorite food in the whole world. He ordered 3 cherry donuts and a chocolate milk. I was good; I had one maple and a small white milk. Generally I hate drinking plain white milk, but with something very sweet like donuts or oreos, it hits the spot. We stayed there until shortly before 11:00 and then we went to the campus book store so he could get some staff (music) paper. He finds himself wanting to write music ideas down and I knew that the bookstore carried that kind of paper. I left him on campus to go to rehearsal and I headed home to get a few things done. I balanced my checkbook, cleaned a little bit and put on some make-up. I headed back to WT for his concert at 12:00. The concert was really good. Josh had a nice long credenza solo that he played really well. I thought he was amazing and I was very proud of him. We stayed to listen to the honor band and then we headed up to Amarillo. I went to the local ATT (cingluar) store to look into upgrading Josh's phone. We looked at available phones and I discovered I could get a better deal online so I told them we'd think about it. After that, we headed to my friend Sadie's house so I could help her set up a blog. As soon as she starts posting, I'll give you a link. Josh was starving so when we finished there we headed to Olive Garden to eat. I ordered my standby meal of chicken fettuccine alfredo. We also ordered an appetizer, had the salad of course, and Josh even ordered dessert. I was quite full by the time we left. We headed home, but had to stop at the store so I could get some cat food and avoid the wrath of my feline pets. (I've been out of canned food for a couple of days and they had to eat leftover roast beef last night.) Yes, they do have dry food... but they're spoiled. We came home and Josh brought all of his stuff in and immediately got on the computer. He's been without it for two weeks now. He also watched last week's episode of Monk and Psych that I recorded for him. I, on the other hand, took a nap. I was tired and full of carbohydrates. Now it's time to watch Monk and Psych. After Psych is over, we'll be heading to the bookstore to await getting the final Harry Potter book.

Fighting Insomnia

Well, it's hitting again. I tried going to bed around 10:45, but it just didn't work. I kept thinking about the new room situation at school and contemplating how I would set it up and decorate it etc. I felt really tired at 7:30 this evening, but forced myself to stay up and even though I felt tired when I went to bed, I couldn't fall asleep. I finally gave up and took a tylenol p.m. and am waiting for it to hit.

I didn't do much tonight. After the concert, I came home and got on the computer. I had a couple of IM conversations. I was a bit irked by one guy that was trying to get me to "invest" in one of those "multi-level marketing" deals because he thought it was in my best interests as a single parent. He took offense when I told him I wasn't interested and I called it a pyramid scheme. (Because like all such things you have to buy your way in and then recruit others to make money.) The thing is that I contacted him with a friendly question a while back and he pounces on me.

I heated a frozen dinner around 7:00, watched some t.v., read a little and then tried to call it a night. It was a good thing I got up because Josh called me tonight to let me know when he'll be checking out of his dorm tomorrow. Well, I feel the drugs kicking in so I'll give sleep another try.

Another decision to make

I went to the meeting at school this morning. The meeting itself wasn't exciting, but I did learn some new things and was able to offer a little bit of input. I got to school early in order to check out the potential room that my principal wanted me to move to. I had a custodian let me in and I checked things out. The room was o.k. There were some good things about it, but it was lacking in several areas including storage. There's an office in it which is a plus and there's a second storage room, but it is housing a server and it's pretty noisy. But there's some other potential storage outside the room itself. I drew a sketch of the room to consider the possibilities and then I went across the hall to check another room out. I liked it much better because the layout for computer desks have them up against the wall which leaves space for desks in the center. It has a separate office with better storage space and a second storage room that has a sink and even more cabinets. The room will also be getting new carpet in it which is a plus. Both rooms would need to be painted which is o.k. I talked to my principal and he indicated that I could choose either room and said I could have some additional storage outside the room. I think he really wants me to move but he isn't forcing me. But it would make things easier on him in the long run with his room planning which would allow the math and science department to be all on the same floor/hallway. It would also keep me near the other speech teacher as he will get the other room. So I think I've basically talked myself into it. I would lose a good deal of storage within the classroom itself (nice long shelf of built ins with lots of cabinets and drawers), but I would have two separate storage rooms that could also be used for my interp students to practice. I could also use one of the storage areas across the hall as an extemp room exclusively which is something that took up quite a bit of space within my room before. I would also be able to get more computers and keep adding some each year (hopefully). There are no windows in the room, but that is more of a bonus because even though I had a nice long row of windows in my other room, we heard the pigeons out there all the time. I will miss the nice long shelf along the windows however. Now, the question is what color do I paint the room this time? I am betting the carpet will be blue. (It seems all the rooms end up with dark blue carpet). Well, that's it for now. I'm heading to my concert shortly.

The second half of my Wednesday

No, I didn't practice like I should have. I think I'll be faking a bit tomorrow. But if anyone is interested and in the Texas panhandle, you're welcome to come to the director's band concert. It will be tomorrow (Thurs.) afternoon at 3:00 in Northen Recital Hall. (no, I didn't misspell Northen... that's the name) Instead of practicing I looked up all the unknown numbers on my caller i.d. on this site trying to figure if they're telemarketers or collection agents or something else altogether. I was able to get some good information... not that I'm going to answer the phone.

I got a real letter in the mail today. Prison Pete finally wrote back. I have been a very bad pen pal and I didn't write to him for probably a year. I finally wrote him in May and he responded to my letter. It was good to hear from him. The problem is that he kind of knows me from my early blog writings (that I sent him a long time ago) and I think I've changed quite a bit. It's hard to explain, but I tried to catch him up as much as possible. I've been having some banter with Vital in Pete's comments section about Pete. I understand where she's coming from and empathize with her, but for those of you familiar with Pete's blog know that he's not going to reveal his crime to his readers... at least in his blog. Well.. enough about that. I wrote Pete back and I'm actually going to send the letter in the mail tomorrow. (This might be first.)

I went to band rehearsal. Same as always. I did see Josh. Not only did he get his phone wet at the amusement park, but he dropped it as well and cracked the screen. So I guess we'll have to upgrade his phone. He said he hasn't learned anything new in the college prep theory class at camp. (It's supposed to prepare the students for music theory class in college) I talked to my friend Kirsten about it (she is a music theory teacher at another University and her dad is a retired theory teacher) and she said that she would get Josh some materials and indicated that Josh could possibly come work with her dad during the year. Josh has given him some of his music to critique already, but I think he could use some regular lessons.

I came home from band and talked with a couple of friends online. The guy that had 3 chances to meet me (but never came through) says he's going to come to my concert tomorrow. I won't hold my breath. I made dinner and ate too much. But I tried to redeem myself by going for a walk. I'm going to try to make it a regular habit. I really enjoyed my walk over to the park yesterday to take pictures. Tonight I took my mp3 player and listened to music during my walk which was a little over a mile. O.k. I have to start small.

I finished the first two chapters in my Mary Spirit book and I'm going to start the study guide. So far the book is good... but it does resonate a protestant attitude... which isn't bad, but I still have some issues in that respect. I think I'm going to do the study guide for the first two chapters and then call it a night. I think (I hope) I can sleep well again. I've had a full day and I didn't even take a nap.

My day so far on this Wednesday

You won't believe it, but I slept pretty well last night without any drugs. I went to bed around 10:30, prayed the rosary, and fell asleep. I woke up around 6:45 this morning and I decided that I didn't have a good reason to not get up. Well, o.k. I did technically stay in bed until a little after 7:00. I got up and checked email, read blogs and such. I took a shower and then I went to daily Mass at 8:30. I couldn't think of any reason not to go and I felt like perhaps I should go. After Mass I came home to check my bank account to make sure that I had money in it and then I headed to Amarillo to spend some of that money. I went to Hobby Lobby, Joann's crafts, and Michaels and spent too much money on beads again. I think I'm going to have to start trying to sell some of my rosaries. Anyone interested? I also went to Best Buy to buy an ink cartridge for my printer as one of them is getting low. I know I shouldn't have, but I also went to Barnes and Noble. I bought two books. One is a novel by an author that I've enjoyed reading for a couple of years now. I also got a book called Having a Mary Spirit. I think it will be a good book for me to read and get my focus where it should be in terms of my spirituality.

I did my usual thing and went to Taco Villa to get a meat burrito grande before heading home. Now I'm debating whether or not I'm going to get some practicing in before band rehearsal. I don't know what it was, but yesterday I had a ton of visitors to this blog. If you're reading again, thanks for stopping by and do leave a comment and say hello so I can read your blog if you have one.

Well, I'm going to go practice or read. Hope y'all are having a great day.

A few promised pictures

I took a walk in order to capture a few pictures for you in my neighborhood.

This picture is of the church that is across the street from my house.

There is a large park just down the street that is two blocks away. It is where the big 4th of July celebration is held. I generally don't go down there as we usually have a great view from the church parking lot.

This is the edge of the park. The group of trees is a nice picnic area with tables.

I've been here for the annual band picnic for Josh's band. Our 10 year high school reunion also had a picnic here as well. I can't believe that in just another year, I'll be celebrating my 20th reunion. As a child, my favorite activity at this park was the annual Easter Egg Hunt.




This view is from the other side of the trees. There is a very large grassy area extending from the trees south.

On the southern edge is the city pool.






There is a children's play area to the side of the park. I spent a great deal of time here as a child. This equipment was some of my favorites. The big round thing was often our "spaceship" and the animal thing in the background bounced up and down. They have since gotten rid of some equipment I guess because it was deemed dangerous like the merry-go-rounds and the tall slide.


They have brought in some modern plastic equipment, but I'm a bit nostalgic and I like the old stuff.

The ground cover is now pebbles and it used to be sand. I much preferred the sand. My friend Kirsten and I would play with hotwheels and build amazing roads with our hands in the sand. We could also build hills and such.


This the city pool. There is an area on the roof of the entrance that I guess was a good tanning spot, but as kids, we loved just going up there and playing make-believe.
I didn't spend a lot of time at this pool. It was always pretty crowded. I spent more time at the pool where I lived 2nd-6th grade. I did love swimming, however.




This is the southern view at the edge of the play area. This is the rolling plains that make up the Texas panhandle. This is the southern edge of the city.








And finally this is home. It's not much. I have a horrible lawn full of weeds. The shed in the back yard needs the siding put on it. I often wish I had a better place, but then I feel guilty for wanting more. I have a roof over my head... what more do I need? Besides a floor in my living room and hallway? New furniture? A paint job on the outside? New heating and air?
I guess it's just one thing at a time.


I will continue to take pictures for those of you interested. Sorry no pictures of the Cadillac ranch yet, but I have to go to Amarillo for it. But my friend Patrick (who got me started with blogging) kind of has a thing for the Cadillac ranch and you can check out his pictures here.

A non-poopy day

I apologize for sounding, as Abbagirl puts it, "poopy" yesterday. I guess I'm having a hard time adjusting to being here at home all by myself with nothing to do. Oh, sure, I have plenty of things I could or should be doing, but they generally aren't pleasant. (Like ripping up the darn nail boards still in my floors) Today was a better day (so far). I didn't sleep very well last night and I didn't take my 1/2 tylenol p.m. I probably should have but I kept fighting it thinking I was tired enough to fall asleep. I guess I slept eventually. I had to get up early today (well, early for summer) at 7:00 a.m. in order to leave on time to get to Hereford for a training session that I signed up for.

I am one of those teachers at school that likes using technology and I would say that I am above average when it comes to knowledge of technology. There are many things I would like to be able to do in my classes, but unfortunately, lack of computers and other gadgets have kept that at bay to some degree. I often assign work that is completed on the computer (like typing a letter) that if I want to have a copy of it, students have to print it out and then I grade it and hand it back and then they make corrections and print it again, etc. Or if I want the file itself I would have to give students my jump drive and have them save the file for me and then pass it on to the next student. Unfortunately, not all of the computers in my room would recognize the drive so it got to be a pain. Luckily this year I have a new solution! Introducing MOODLE! My training session today was on how to use this program and I am very excited about it. There are all sorts of possibilities. I've been wanting to put assignments on the web, but haven't had the time to really do much with it. This program will allow me to create assignments AND the students can upload their files when they finish... whether it is a picture they find, something they write, a journal entry or a powerpoint. It is really cool. I've been jotting down ideas all day. One of the problems I face next year is the fact that I don't have enough computers. I emailed my principal today and asked for more computers. I don't know if I'll get them, but I won't know until I ask.

Although the session was supposed to go until 3:30 today, I was able to leave by 3:00 which allowed me to get to band on time. I was glad that I could be there. We have a guest artist that will play two solos with the band and he is an incredible trombone player. So I played in band for an hour, and then came home. It's really hot outside and I've had to break down and turn on the air conditioner. I am contemplating what I should make for dinner. I will try to get some pictures taken this week per the requests I've received.

Mundane Monday

I didn't sleep too late this morning. I'm finding that taking 1/2 a tylenol p.m. is what does the trick on sleepless nights. I didn't do much this morning. I watched t.v. and spent most of the time on the computer. I got a call today from a number I didn't recognize so I didn't answer. It turns out it was Josh and he was using a friend's phone because his "met with unfortunate circumstances." I didn't actually talk to him; he left a message but I figured I 'd seem him after rehearsal today. As soon as I got the message, I started checking out new phones. It turns out that by being such a good and loyal customer I'm eligible to upgrade my phones early. My contract isn't due to expire until October. Even though I've had some issues with my provider in the past, things have been o.k. for the past few years. Once Josh is finished with camp, we'll check out the deals we can get.
I went to band and I'm doing a little better on the music. I did practice last night. I'm going to miss rehearsal tomorrow, however. I got an email about the training session I'm going to in Hereford tomorrow and instead of ending at 3:00, it's supposed to go until 3:30 or later. That means I won't make it in time for band. I did see Josh at the end of rehearsal today. The unfortunate incident that occurred with his phone was that it got wet while riding the Pipeline Plunge at the local amusement park.
I came home from band and parked myself in front of the t.v. for a while. I couldn't decide on what I wanted for dinner. I didn't want leftover roast again so I finally gave up and went to McDonald's. I got some food to go and came home and scarfed it down chased by a beer. I started getting sleep around 8:00 and I'm to the point of being ready for bed soon. I know that Andrew would be disappointed if I didn't update today, so I wanted to make sure I did it before calling it a night.
Again, it's not a very exciting day, but such is my life.

Another Sunday

First, I guess I should cover yesterday's events. I slept in (of course) and hardly did anything all day. I did start cooking a roast in my crockpot in the morning. It was done around 5:00 p.m. so I enjoyed some roast and potatoes. My dad called around 6:00 to invite me to go out to dinner, but I told him I already ate. I called him back around 6:30 to see if he wanted to go to Josh's band concert. He said he did so he came over after dinner and then we headed to the concert around 7:20. The concert was very good. Josh looks so serious on stage. Well, he is generally a serious kid.
This morning I slept in a little with plans to go to the 11:15 service. I headed to church around 9:30 to get ready for class at 10:00 but it turns out that almost everyone was gone this week. We only had three people show up so we decided to postpone class until next week. So instead of coming home for an hour, I stayed and visited with one of the ladies that had come for class. We had a nice chat. I thought my brother and his family would be coming to Mass, but I guess they didn't make it. I came home after Mass and had some left over roast beef. I started watching t.v. and then decided to take a nap. I know I'm going to regret it tonight, but I was tired. I was tired enough to have some strange dreams.

I'm going to make dinner shortly and then I must practice tonight. I really have to get my part down... at least on the exposed parts. I know it's not exciting news, but my life is rarely exciting... which is probably a good thing.

My Rosaries

Early in my Catholic journey I learned to make rosaries. I made my first one in the fall of 2005 as I was in RCIA class. By the time Easter Vigil arrived, I made one for every person entering the Church with me along with a few others. Since then, I've made several more that I've given away to others like my friend Summer. I've probably made 40+ rosaries at this point and every one of them have been unique. I've never sold one as they have all been gifts. I can't even tell you how much I've spent in making them, but it's just something I enjoy. Each rosary costs anywhere from a couple of dollars to make to upwards of $15 depending on the kind of beads, centers and crosses I use. I may have to start selling them just to keep my habit up. I really don't know if there would be a market for them, but I've received compliments from every person that has received one. I've always enjoyed being creative and crafty and this is something that incorporates that. It is a moment of peace that lets me get away from the world for a few moments when I make them. I hope and pray that every person that has received one of my rosaries has been able to use it to further their spiritual life. I don't pray the rosary as much as I should. Sometimes, I do recite it as I string each bead. Now that I have a craft room again, I've been more active in making them - that is until I've run out of materials. I'll have to wait until payday next week to replenish my supplies.

At this point I have 21 rosaries at home. (Aside from my personal rosaries.) I've put 20 of them online if you'd like to see them. I have another that I'm holding on to with someone in mind that I'd like to give it to. If you're interested in a rosary, email me and let me know and we'll figure out a price. If you'd like me to make one for you, I can do that as well. Several I've made with the person it's going to in mind and I try to chose colors/materials that seem to fit them.

The end of the week

I think I'm glad it's Friday. I wished I could have slept better last night. I had a little bit of a pity party last night but I'm getting over it. Maybe it's just the lack of sleep. I went to bed around 2:00 and was up at 7:00. I got up and then went back to bed for a couple of hours. I picked my friend, Kirsten, and her parents up at 11:00 so we could go to theater. We got there in time to get tickets, but the snack line was really long. I was kind of disappointed. I know the prices are outrageous, but it just doesn't seem the same to be popcornless at the movies. I did enjoy the movie. Yes, they took some liberties as they always do and several things got cut, but overall, I thought they kept true to the basic storyline. It might be my favorite movie of the series. I'll have to watch it again, I'm sure. My friend's parents bought us lunch after the movie which was really nice of them. We went to Schlotzkey's. Tomorrow I'm going to make a roast. It's a small one and even though it's too much for one person, I can have leftovers for a couple of days.
I did finally get to see Josh briefly. I had to take him his electric shaver that he forgot. Band was pretty good even though our director was late today - which normally would be unusual, but it happened last summer as well. I really need to practice this weekend. There's some things that go really fast and I don't quite have it down at this point.
I am very excited that the new season of Monk and Psych are on tonight. Josh wants me to record it so I've got to find a tape and figure out how to work the vcr again. Yes, I know I should get tivo, but I've looked into it and I simply can't afford it right now. Simply having digital cable with HBO and high speed internet is already a luxury item that costs a fortune.
I got my charger in the mail today so my battery is charging. I'm not sure how long it will take, but hopefully I'll get to take pictures again soon. Well.. gotta go be unproductive again.

Insomnia Again

Well, it's almost 2:00 a.m. and I've yet to sleep. I went to bed around 10:30 and couldn't fall asleep. I got up around 11:30 and read until 12:30. I tried sleeping again and gave up shortly before 1:00. I posted in my Catholic blog and now I'm still not feeling sleepy. I guess I shouldn't have had that coke at dinner. I've been pretty good about not drinking caffeine too late, but I did have a coke when we went out to dinner tonight. I had a cheeseburger and fries. I found out that my brother's girlfriend is pregnant again. Their baby is just now 6 months old. I hope they'll get married one of these days. They're coming to church again on Sunday so I'm glad about that.

I don't have anything else to add. I'm going to try to go to bed again. I'm determined to not use drugs tonight. I really hate the dragging feeling I have the next day. Even when I take half a pill, it seems to stay in my system for a long time. I once took one around 9 p.m. and even though I slept through the night, I still felt exhausted at noon the next day. I'm going to have to figure out something that works. Have a good night... oh yeah, you probably already are being fast asleep.

The week goes on

It's already Thursday. I actually had a good night of sleep without drugs. I still didn't go to Hereford and I've decided that I'm not going to go until next week when I have to go for training. I signed up for a computer course and will get paid $60 for going. I got some more centers today and finished a couple more rosaries. I've tried tracking my camera battery charger but it's either stuck in Grand Prairie or the site isn't updated. If it's not here in another week, I'll contact the company. It indicated that I would receive it in 4-14 days. Rehearsal was earlier today and we got a new piece of music. I'm really going to have to practice. There's some parts that are exposed (3rd clarinets stand out) and I'm going to have to get it down. When we left rehearsal there was a pretty good downpour of rain going on. I'm going out to dinner tonight with my dad. I'm glad I don't have to cook, although I do have food now. I went to the store and got enough to get me by until payday next week. I'm going to see Harry Potter tomorrow morning. There's nothing else to report. I still refuse to be productive. Maybe after the weekend.

I don't know what to write

It's Wednesday and it seems like the days are just dragging. I want to go see the Harry Potter movie but I promised to go with my friend Kirsten and she doesn't want to go until Friday. I took half a sleeping pill last night which helped especially when storms came through around 3:00 a.m., but again it took me a long time to wake up this morning. I didn't go to Hereford yet again. Maybe tomorrow, but no promises. I watched t.v., read blogs, read a book and again was a total bum once again. I'm almost feeling guilty. I went to band at 3:00. Today was better... I could at least play more notes today than yesterday, but the music we played today was a bit easier. It was raining when we left. It's one of those nice mild summer rains - not a downpour, but a nice shower. I have the back door open so I can hear and smell it right now. I'd be sitting out in it if it weren't for my laptop.

I have to go to the grocery store today. I had the last of my frozen dinners and am going to need something to get by for a few days. Luckily, I'm going out to eat tomorrow night. Dad is in town and he called to see if I wanted to go out. Free dinner? Of course I do!

I feel a bit worthless right now. I need something to feel productive, but at the same time I don't feel like doing anything. I'm fed up with house cleaning. I'm getting short on cash so I can't go shopping. I've run out of rosary centers so I can't do that either. I do have a book I'm reading, but for the most part, I'm just sitting my recliner doing nothing. It's times like these I wish I had more friends. Yes, my friend Kirsten is in town, but she's going out with her parents tonight. My friend Pam is still at the hospital with her daughter and she has another crisis going on with a broken pipe in her house that caused major flooding. And I'm sitting here having my own pity party. I really need to get over it.

Only Tuesday

It's only Tuesday, right? I didn't make it to Hereford. I watched a movie instead. I did sleep last night which was good. I had lunch, took a shower and went to summer band. I'm going to have to do some practicing. I don't know what it is, but somehow I always end up sitting on the end of the row. I really expected more clarinets to show up. I'm playing 3rd part, but a lot of what we played today had 16th notes at a pretty fast pace. (For those you that know music.) I felt really tired when I got home. Maybe playing for an hour wore me out. I relaxed in my recliner for about 45 minutes. Now I'm trying to figure out what to do about dinner. Being alone makes cooking difficult. I'm used to making dinner for Josh as well.

I don't have any plans for tonight. At some point I need to go to the grocery store because the food supply is minimal. Well, I better get something to eat.

A Quite Non-Productive Day

For the most part yesterday I was a total bum. Shortly after I posted, I got a call from one of my neighbors that goes to my church and is in my Adult faith class. She wanted to know if I'd be home for a bit because she wanted to bring me something. I thought she might want to give me a thank-you card or something because she was the one that won the rosary that I gave away in class on Sunday. She came over about 20 minutes later and brought me a loaf of freshly baked beer bread right out of the oven. It was amazing. She also loaned me a book about Mother Angelica. I read it most of the day. A little after noon I headed to the post office to put my student's recommendation form in the mail. (She's applying for the honor program at her college.) I then headed to camp to give Josh his candy bars that he had requested and I also took him some bread. At that point, he didn't know what band he had made yet. I came back home and had my left over fried rice for lunch. Josh called me about 30 minutes later and told me he didn't make honors band, but was first chair in symphonic. He was a bit disappointed, but he's o.k. with it. At least being first chair, he could get some solos. Then I sat around and read, watched t.v. all day. I made a couple more rosaries and I'm waiting impatiently for my battery charger to arrive so I can take some pictures. Around 8:00 last night I decided I was hungry and so I went to McDonald's to pick something up. I got online for a bit and chatted with a couple of people. Around 10:45 my cell phone rang. It was my friend Pam. She told me that her daughter, Kami, had a grand mal seizure in the hospital today. She was horrified. Kami is stable now and they think it was due to the demerol so they have stopped giving that to her. But the experience was awful she says. She had stopped breathing and turned blue. They even called for a chaplain. I can't believe it. So if you do pray, please continue to offer up some prayers for her.

Well, that's the extent of my very lazy day. Today I'm trying to talk myself into actually getting to Hereford. I really need to go, but I just don't want to. Oh, I did decide to play in director's band. I got out my clarinet yesterday and everything seems to be o.k. for now. I emailed my principal and found out that the meeting I have to go to on the 19th will only be a couple of hours so I'll be able to make the concert. I guess I should take a shower and get dressed.

Alone Again

I'm tired. I'm still having sleep issues. I actually went to bed at a decent hour and fell asleep pretty well. I was amazed... until 3-something this morning. I finally gave up and got up around 4:00 a.m. I got online and read blogs and surfed a bit. I also remembered that I needed to fill out a recommendation form for one of my students so I did that as well. I finally tried to go back to bed around 5:30. I think maybe I fell asleep after 6:30 or so because I remember seeing the sun start to come up. I know I slept some, but it was very haphazard. Josh called me a little after nine to tell me how his audition went. He felt pretty good about it but he's not sure about getting the high "G" out saying he kind of fumbled it. He really wants to make Honors band this year so I'm hoping that he did well enough for that. I didn't really write about yesterday other than church so let me get on with that.

After church, I came home and then decided to not cook anything for lunch. I got Josh's order and ran up to Sonic. Josh ate and continued to pack. He asked me to quiz him to make sure he packed everything. We headed up to registration at 1:00 thinking that might be a good time to go. We were WRONG. If we had been brilliant by sending in his photo digitally, it would have been no problem, but because he had to have his picture taken, it took an hour. And then, they had technical difficulties so he didn't even get his name tag. At least while he was waiting I was able to go pay for a private lesson and get his tickets to go to the musical TEXAS and to Wonderland (Amusement park). After he was finally out of the long registration line, he realized we had left his water at home so we came back to pick it up. We then went over to the dorms so he could check in. Of course he was on the second floor again. So we lugged all his stuff up to his room.

After that I headed to Amarillo. I went to visit my dad's girlfriend who is recovering from surgery she had last week. We had a very nice long visit and she may start blogging soon. After that, I went to the hospital to see my friend Pam and her daughter. I stayed about 30 minutes there because they were both tired. Kami actually had fallen asleep so I gave Pam her rosary that I had made her. After that, I went to My Thai to eat. It was close by and it used to be my favorite Thai place in Amarillo. It was o.k. but I guess I'm getting used to the place in Canyon now. While there, my aunt called me so I talked to her for a bit. Josh had called me earlier and told me that he forgot to pack towels. I headed home and got some towels gathered up. I had to wait to take them since he had to have meeting at his dorm first. I went to the grocery store to get a few things and then took the towels to him shortly before 9:00 p.m. I headed home after that, watched a little t.v. and was in bed by 10:30... but we know how that went.

Now I don't know what to do. I should go up to Hereford today, but I really don't want to. I haven't decided if I'm going to go or not. I do have to get out shortly to put the recommendation for my student in the mail. I also have to go up to camp and give Josh the candy bars I bought him at the store but forgot to give him. I'm trying to figure what I should start doing here at the house. I'm just not feeling very motivated right now. I don't know if I'm going to play in director's band or not yet. I need to see if my clarinet will play well enough. I also need to check with my principal about the BLT (Building leadership team) meeting that is next week. If it goes all day, I won't be able to play because that is when the concert is. I do want to play though. I always love being a part of a large musical ensemble and director's band is awesome every year. Well, I'm either going to to get ready or get some more rest.

Contentment

I was sitting in Mass this morning with a smile on my face. I just felt happy to be there. I was sitting alone and I was o.k. with it. I simply felt joy being in the presence of God. I have had moments where my faith seems to weaken and I live in my own pity parties, but I rejoice in the fact that I always have this place to come back to. I loved how the Bishop put it today. He called it "recharging our spiritual batteries." Before coming into the Church, I struggled with the notion of having to go to Mass EVERY Sunday. I wasn't sure if I was up for it, but now I can't imagine missing a Sunday. It really does wonders for the soul. I can't imagine not being able to take part in the Eucharist. That in itself does wonders to keep me on the mostly straight and narrow path. I'm still not fond of confession - it's the idea of actually admitting my own imperfections, but that's a fault within me and not the Church. Despite this, I feel as though I have this new kind of wisdom. I'm finally "getting it" so to speak. Oh, I know I still have a ways to go and I know what I need to work on, but I feel very blessed to have the Church to help in that endeavor. I am starting to fit in and get to know people. I felt very privileged to be able to teach the Sunday school class today. I guess it went pretty well except that we didn't get through the entire lesson. It was pretty long though. I know that religion and church isn't for everyone, but I am truly thankful for it. It has been an amazing experience and the journey really has just begun.

Dragging today

I couldn't sleep again last night so I took half a sleeping pill. It did the trick, but I still feel tired. I dragged myself out of bed around 10-something. (keep in mind I didn't get to sleep until shortly before 1 a.m.) I decided I needed some caffeine but I ran out of cokes. I headed to Sonic at 11:00 and got lunch and a large coke. It has helped a bit, but I'm still not focusing well. I worked on my Sunday lesson a bit, but I needed a break. I've got to find a better way to get sleep that doesn't make me feel loopy the next day. Maybe I should try some lavender. I heard that is supposed to help induce sleep. Does anyone have any other ideas?

My Friday

I got up a little after 9:00 I think. I woke up around 7-something but went back to sleep. I left around 11:00 and headed to Amarillo. I went to my favorite fast food place and got a meat burrito grande. Then I went to Hobby Lobby in search of beads to make a rosary for my friend's daughter that is in the hospital. I didn't find anything that struck me, but I did get some other beads to go with some I already had. I also got some materials to make bookmarks for my Sunday school class. Since we're discussing love on Sunday I made bookmarks with different quotations about love that relate to some of the teachings. After Hobby Lobby, I went to the hospital to visit my friend Pam. Kami (her daughter) was sleeping. I stayed a couple of hours there and then went to Michaels in search of beads again. I finally found what I was looking for. I got the beads and then headed home. I started the bookmarks which was pretty simple, but a bit sticky. I cut colored card stock paper to size, then I cut a fancy paper a little smaller to glue on top. I printed out the quotations on vellum paper, cut them out and placed a verse on top of the fancy paper. I used adhesive spray which tends to get messy. For the most part, they turned out pretty well, I think (See above picture). Not too fancy, but hopefully they'll be appreciated. After the bookmarks, I made dinner, then I worked on rosaries. I made the one for Kami and then made a couple of others since I finally got some beads I had been needing. I will post pictures in a few days hopefully. Josh's camera doesn't take a very good picture and the scanner doesn't scan the colors correctly. I've finally ordered a charger for my camera battery and hopefully it will be here next week. And that was my day today. Tomorrow I'll be spending most of the day working on finalizing my lesson. Today I printed out 25 pages of extra material and I've got to weed it down. Now it's time for bed. Hope y'all are having a good evening.

In the scheme of things

I did write a post yesterday, but I took it down. I realized I was being a bit whiny and I shouldn't have been. I saved it and may post it another time, but shortly after I posted it I checked my voice mail and found out that my friend's daughter is going into the hospital again. I realized that while I'm sitting here whining about furniture, they are dealing with much bigger issues and I really need to look at the big picture. My friend's name is Pam and her daughter is Kami. Kami has cystic fibrosis and has spent time in and out of hospitals most of her life and she is only 19. Between hospital stays she does breathing treatments and takes a lot of medicine to keep her symptoms under control. Pam and I became friends when we both taught at the same junior high. We discovered that we had much in common as single parents. Not only has she had to struggle with all the things that plague us single parents (loneliness, financial worries, depression, etc.) but add on top of that caring for a daughter that is sick most of the time and only has a life expectancy of 37 years. It's been a hard-knock life for both of them.
So today instead of whining, I'm going to appreciate what I do have. Pam and Kami came over on the 4th and Kami asked me to make her something religious for the next time she went into the hospital. I guess they didn't plan on it being so soon. I haven't decided if I'm going to make her a new rosary or give her one that she said she liked. I want to have it blessed, but today doesn't seem to be a good day to catch a priest or deacon. I guess it can wait a bit and that way I might be able to find the perfect beads instead. I'm going to head up to Amarillo shortly and do some shopping and then go to the hospital. If you're inclined to pray, I'm sure they wouldn't mind a few prayers.

Fireworks and Goosebumps

We had a very nice show this year. Some years are better than others. It seemed most of the fireworks were pretty big. Here's a little lesson for you. The big booming fireworks are called "Bill Fred" and the little ones are called "Pooters." It's a long story how those were named, but it happened back in high school and the names have stuck. I have been watching the show in Canyon almost all of my life. There are a few years that were exceptions like the year I drove to Austin/San Marcos to surprise my now ex-husband when we were dating. I ended up watching the show in Austin at Lake Travis which was incredible. The next day I went to go find Richard and it turned out that he left early and came home to surprise me.

Ever since I was a kid I've watched the works from this house, however. Many years ago, our backyard offered the perfect viewing site because the park where the fireworks are shot from is only two blocks away. Unfortunately many of the trees in the area have grown so much that you can't get a good view from the back yard any more. But I remember jumping on the trampoline and eating fudgecicles and anxiously awaiting the show to start. There used to be a patio area in the backyard where we would shoot a few of our own fireworks like the little tanks, fountains and such. We always had sparklers and we would write our names in the dark with them. I remember that I got a burn on my arm one year from something that we shot off and one of the sparks landed on it. We still have a prime viewing spot despite the trees. Now we just go across the street to the church parking lot and sit in lawn chairs. The view is just perfect. The show is almost always the same. They play the same music beginning with the Star Spangled Banner and ending with Battle Hymn of the Republic. In between there are Sousa marches and other patriotic songs. I always get goosebumps when they play "God Bless the U.S.A." I know it's not a favorite of some people, but I really like the song. Tonight was no different, I still got the goosebumps. I sat there thinking that we do live in a pretty good place. We can complain about the president, taxes and certain laws we may not like, but I think we have it pretty good. Sometimes I think we have too much freedom, but there are a lot of freedoms that I do appreciate. I don't participate in politics and I don't give much thought to voting, but I appreciate that I do have the right to take part in the democratic process. It's good to have freedom of religion despite the fact that unfortunately there are quite a few odd denominations out there. I think that as a country we do have a lot of pride and we have those moments that we do come together. It's sad, though, that often times it takes a tragedy like 911 or Katrina to pull people together. I think we all need to practice loving our neighbors around us despite our differences. Well, enough rambling for tonight. I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July.

Happy 4th of July

I have things to do, but lacking in energy right now. I got up around 9-something this morning. I over-exerted myself by moving branches that my brother cut down from a tree to the alley. He cut them down a while back but I discovered that the city won't pick them up unless they're in the alley. They have been sitting on the side of fence in the front. That was my exercise for today. Josh got the lawn mowed finally. I went to the store to get some of the food for today. And most of the day I've just been watching the Monk marathon. I'm having a couple of friends come over today. I need to get a few more things done before the arrive. Maybe I'll go take a vitamin and see if that helps get me going. So what are your holiday plans for the day?

Another relaxing day

I had good intentions. Does that count? I didn't get to bed until around 2:30 a.m. I was reading an interview with J.K. Rowling, the author of Harry Potter. Josh and I were also discussing possibilities about the 7th book. I did get up around 8:45 this morning but once again decided against going to camp. I planned to go to Hereford today as well, but just didn't make it. It wasn't a completely unproductive day, however. I spent some time working on my lesson for Sunday school. I'm teaching the class this weekend. The topic is love. This afternoon Josh and I ran some errands. First we went to Hastings (a local bookstore) to pre-order the 7th Harry Potter book. Then we went to Best Buy and I got ink cartridges for my printer and my old one that I'm going to put in Josh's room. I also got Josh a new bench to use with his keyboard. It was a good deal. It was a package that had a bench, keyboard cover and headphones that was originally $49.99 but was on sale for $19.99. After that we went to Walmart where I spent way too much money, but most of it was on Josh. He needed new shorts, a dress shirt for camp, a new belt, socks, underwear and a new tie. (He actually likes dressing up now.) I got some things for our 4th of July celebration. I decided to keep it simple this year. I'm making Philly Cheesesteak Sandwhiches and chips with queso. I also got cheesecake for dessert. We came home, put up groceries and I made a quick dinner. I also am enjoying a beer. I'm not usually a beer drinker, but I do have one particular beer that I like. It's called ZiegenBock and it's only made and distributed in Texas. And that's it for now. I am going to try to put up some pictures of some of the rosaries I've made but it will take a little time. I'm not getting great pics with Josh's camera (mine is dead and I can't charge the battery) and I'm not sure I like the image of it being scanned. I'm going to work on it a bit and I'll try to post some pictures soon.

Abbagirl's Tag

Abbagirl tagged me for a meme that I've already done so I'm going to post the link for you. You can also check the updated 100 things below. I'm not sure if I can come up with any new facts/habits that aren't listed in those memes. If I do, I'll post it.

Instead, I will open this blog up to anyone to ask me any question they want and I promise to answer truthfully to the best of my ability. So ask away! Anything you want to know?

100 things (updated)

I've done this before, but am posting again with some updates.

1. I am 37
2. I am divorced
3. I was married for five years
4. I had the marriage annulled by the Catholic Church.
5. I have a tattoo
6. I love to ride rollercoasters
7. I'm a member of American Coaster Enthusiasts
8. My favorite coaster is Poltergeist at Fiesta Texas
9. I've ridden 124 rollercoasters
10. I collect Marvin the Martian items
11. I broke my neck when I was 4 yrs old
12. I was hit by a car
13. I've had a total of 104 stitches in my life
14. I've been to a taping of The Price Is Right
15. I wasn't called to "Come on Down"
16. You can see me in the audience at least 4 times
17. I have 2 cats
18. I have 3 dogs
19. I play the clarinet
20. I was flag captain in high school and college
21. I went to band camp for 7 summers
22. I'm fascinated by the Titanic
23. I have a 16 yr old son
24. My son was born on my 21st birthday
25. I dream about tornadoes
26. But I like watching shows about tornadoes
27. I'm a native Texan
28. My favorite color is purple
29. I hate scary movies.
30. I hate most vegetables
31. I really hate beans
32. My favorite food is spaghetti
33. I like 80's music
34. My favorite singer is Olivia Newton John
35. My sign is Scorpio
36. I am a teacher
37. I teach high school speech
38. I used to sell yearbooks
39. But I hated selling
40. I've never been stung by a flying insect
41. I don't want to ever be stung
42. I have an older sister
43. I have an older brother
44. I am the baby of the family
45. I was in two musicals
46. But I can't sing
47. I like to read
48. My favorite authors are Janet Evanovich, Sue Grafton, and J.K. Rowling
49. When I was a kid I read the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew.
50. I used to go to the Baptist church
51. I've been to the Episcopalian church
52. I've been Baptized twice and "saved" on three occasions
53. I converted to the Catholic Church.
54. I believe in God
55. I love watching C.S.I. Vegas
56. And I love watching Monk
57. I graduated 16th in my high school class of 332
58. I graduated from West Texas A&M University in 1995
59. My GPA was a 3.82 (Magna Cum Laude)
60. I started out as a music major
61. I switched to Speech Education
62. I am shy
63. I've been to Vegas 4 times
64. I like going to museums
65. I like to do crossword puzzles
66. Nobody will play Scrabble with me
67. I've lost 25 pounds (and gained 10 back)
68. I want to lose at least 25 more
69. I flew to Michigan for a blind date
70. I wear contacts most of the time
71. I hate wearing panty hose
72. I am right handed
73. I believe in ghosts
74. I painted my kitchen Lime green
75. And I like it
76. I want to be on Trading Spaces and have my living room done
77. I like to dance
78. I wanted to be a choreographer when I grew up
79. My dream job is to be a music librarian
80. My dog, Roo, snores and it's annoying
81. I can be hypnotized
82. I've been hypnotized on stage
83. I can remember all my phone numbers from 2nd grade to the present
84. I have a "thing" about memorizing numbers
85. I also memorize birthdays
86. I want to go on a cruise some day
87. I won first place in poetry at my first speech tournament
88. I performed “Casey at the Bat” and still have it memorized
89. I have been to half of the states in the U.S.
90. I've been to the Caribbean
91. And Mexico
92. I know how to crochet.
93. I will be free of debt in 2 years.
94. I drive a Nissan Maxima
95. I hate doing laundry
96. And the dishes
97. I like to cook
98. I have neat handwriting
99. I like to sleep in
100. This was really hard

Relaxing day with a little bit of guilt

I couldn't sleep again last night. I finally gave up around midnight and continued to read. I finally felt sleepy around 1:30 a.m. The alarm went off around 8:00 this morning and again at 8:10. I turned them both off. I finally got up around 8:40 and took a shower. And then I decided I still didn't want to go to camp. So I didn't. I laid back down for a while. Eventually I got up and for the most part had a relaxing day. The only work I did was emptying the dishwasher. The rest of the day was spent reading (I finished the 6th book), watching t.v., reading blogs, and generally doing nothing. I didn't even cook dinner. I picked up Wendy's and enjoyed my big bacon classic and fries. After dinner I started working on rosaries. I finished two of them and have a third that I'm going to re-string because I think it needs more space between the Hail Mary beads. And that's what I've been doing. I felt guilty for not going to camp, but I figure that I'm simply volunteering and I really should enjoy my summer the way I want to. Overall it was a pretty nice day.

Just another Sunday

I got up to go to early Mass at 8:30. Went to Sunday school at 9:45 and was home a little after 11:00. I rushed to get everything done. Made the cake first, cut the chicken, started the rice and then cooked the chicken before I had to go pick my students at camp. I had to go get more rice as the stuff I made didn't cook right for some reason, so I just did instant, which I generally do not like, but didn't have the time to cook regular rice again. I finished the cashew chicken once we arrived home and made a glaze for the cake. The students seemed to enjoy it. They stayed about an hour.

After lunch I did the dishes (can you believe it?), started some laundry, and then continued reading my book. I've now finished the 5th Harry Potter book and will start the 6th this evening. I probably should have timed it better, but I'm just a fast reader. Oh well.

Tonight I'm making baked ziti for dinner. It's easy and fairly quick. I don't have anything else planned other than reading. I should fold some laundry, but I think I'll avoid that for now.

Summer blogged a nice thank you for the rosary I sent her. I'm very glad she liked it. I have several more to make now... I might get started on that this evening. As I've cleaned I found several sacks of beads that I've bought and for the most part forgotten about. Now I have everything in one place with a place to work. Well, dinner is almost ready so I'm going to close for now.