When's Lunch?

Sick...sucks

2011-07-03T15:49:00.000-04:00

I haven't even looked at this list in a month because I've been sick. Boo. Sick sucks. Now I'm a month behind on my list, and quite honestly, I don't really care.

A few weeks ago, I had a panic attack while driving to work. With my kid in the car....nice. We survived (positive self talk, gum, high A/C, and driving in the right lane), but the feeling never went away, so I left work early that day and went to the doctor...diagnosed with anxiety. #Duh#wantmycopayback

But life went on and I muddled through. Until the 21st. I took a personal day because I had to use it and took DOM to the zoo...40 minutes away from homw, and like hours away from anyone I know. I got to the zoo and started to feel sick. I thought it was anxiety....but after the anxious feeling went away, the lightheaded, woozy, I'm gonna faint and throw up, fever, chills, aches, pains, and now I'm stranded 40 miles away from home feeling came on. After my husband rescued me, I went to the hospital (it was that bad). Diagnosed with anxiety and dehydration. #Helloyoudon'tdeserveacopay

But then, life didn't go on because I couldn't get out of bed...for almost two weeks. Five doctor trips, 2 hospital visits, I'm still diagnosed with anxiety and a Vitamin D deficiency.....but otherwise healthy. No Epstein Barre, no Lyme, no Mono, no crazy death sentence...most likely a REALLY BAD viral infection brought on by....?? maybe stress, maybe not enough sleep, maybe nobody will ever know.

I'm on the rebound. I'm treating the anxiety, along with the Vitamin deficiency, and I hope to be myself again soon. For now, the list has taken a back burner, because honestly, I need to work on getting my life back. Ever go two weeks without driving? I didn't even do that after my son was born...the doctor never mentioned it. I feel sort of like a newborn behind the wheel, but luckily, tall enough to reach the pedals.

3 down, 98 to go!

2011-06-05T23:03:00.000-04:00

I decided to stop by and update some of my 101/1001 list. Some are underway, but I don't know exact #'s...like tweets, pages, lbs, etc. However...three things are off the list! Woo Hoo!

8. Go without Starbucks for 30 days.
I stayed away for 35 and stopped in today for a coffee confection...and I realized it wasn't that good. I guess I kicked that habit's ass! My Starbucks obsession was getting bad before 5/1 and I tackled this first because Starbucks is honestly a waste of money and calories. It had to be done. You know it's bad when your kid is asking to go....
...I'll go back, but not as often as I did. A cakepop here and there won't kill anyone.

49. Try 3 new foods.
I thought this would be harder, however, my school participates in a federal grant to bring fresh fruit and vegetables into schools. Up to this point, the only thing they gave us that I hadn't ever tasted was Starfruit...but within a week of stating, Tamarind, Swiss Chard, Red Chard, and Apriums showed up at my door. Yum...for the most part.

75. Take an Exercise Class.
DOM takes Karate...the studio was offering free trial class as a Mother's Day gift. So, I took a class called CAGE fitness. I almost died....well, at least that's how I felt the next day. But once I could walk normally again, I realized it's a great workout. So, I start tomorrow attending class 2 times a week...and maybe I'll move to three if I can handle it.

That's all so far...but as the end of school and beginning of summer arrives, I have lots of plans!

14. Help a new charity each month for 6 months.

2011-05-08T20:28:00.000-04:00

I always want to help those less fortunate, but sometimes personal life gets in the way. This is why I added #14 to my list. So then it becomes, who am I helping and how?

Enter my sister and DonorsChoose.org. My sister was given a $100 gift card to Donor's Choose. She gave it to me and said to either use it for something for my classroom, or to donate it. At first, I was using it for myself...but then I realized that there were so many more schools and children who could use it.

Last night I searched and found a classroom in New Orleans who needed books so the teacher could teach her kindergarteners to read. They lost their school in Katrina, had to share classrooms two times this year because of teacher and building issues, and their current teacher doesn't have books to teach them to read. She only need $96 to complete her request, so last night, I completed it.

I surely would have loved new books on tape or caddies for books, but my wants are nothing like their needs. After my donation, I felt good. I made a difference in the lives of kids I'll never meet, for a teacher who is a stranger, to a school I'll never step foot in. I'm not changing the world, but I changed their world. I can't wait to do it again next month!

Got a few extra bucks? Check out www.donorschoose.org

I'm BackkkkkkK!

2011-05-05T22:33:00.000-04:00

So, I figured I'd give myself some time before posting, but I got bit by the blogging bug! I decided to make a 101 things in 1001 days list as a way to set some creative and personal goals. We'll see how it goes. I've already started some list items. You can see the list and updates on the link above my posts.

Is this thing on?

2011-05-05T20:50:00.001-04:00

Good thing blogger.com is patient. Otherwise, they may have repo'ed my spot. Thinking about a stellar come back in the next few weeks....stay tuned!

Consignment Sale

2010-03-26T22:25:00.003-04:00

So, I sold 51 out of 59 items and will make $114 profit (Total $ was 190.50...I get 60%). I underpriced most of my items, and know for the next sale to be a little more daring for pricing. I'm looking forward to it. It was about time I weeded out some of Dominick's old stuff...and though it's great to donate, it's also nice to make some extra cash. I think everyone wins in consignment....I made money, someone bought some nice stuff at a low price, and none of it went into a landfill!

We're thinking of having a garage sale too...it's just amazing how much we've accumulated....and rather than toss it, maybe someone else will want it. I'm looking forward to clearing out our garbage in the garage and possibly filling up our wallets!!

Consignment

2010-02-27T22:43:00.004-05:00

I used to be good with getting rid of things....donating clothes, recycling what I didn't need.

Then I became a grown up. With bills and stuff. Purging became scary.

What if I needed that item I donated because I wouldn't have money to buy a new one? I started to save. Of course, I was saving size 6 shirts that only fit me for a minute anyway. Before we moved (Part 1- from Condo to Inlaws) I purged about 9 bags of crap...donated somewhere that escapes me....can't remember a blessed thing that I got rid of because most was so old and out of date (and so not appropriate for a 30 something mother). So that was a good thing. We never did anything with the baby clothes though, except for save every godforsaken piece....including the stained stuff.

When we moved (Part 2-from Inlaws to New House) we immediately crapped it up with at least 16 XXL/Giant Zip Loc bags of Child size clothing. That's only from Birth to Size 2....alas size 3 and 4 was in his closet, plus coats, sheets, towels, etc...you get the drift.

So, I've been debating consignment for a while...but I found a place that does this super mega consignment sale. The sale is one weekend, and you prepare all your wares, tag it, bring it, and they sell it and send you a check.

I'm so excited! I have until March 11th to make my tags and have to drop it all off on March 13th. Until then, I'm sorting, purging, cleaning, and tagging. Wish me luck!

Edited-DUH!! Here's the site...www.new2youkids.com

Greenish Update

2010-01-18T21:35:00.002-05:00

How time flies! I can't believe my last post was almost 3 weeks ago. I was never good at blogging...at least I'm back. Here are some things I've done for the Earth lately...

-Using up what we have. I've definitely dug deeper into my pantry and linen closet shelves before buying...which is 2-way green....less in the house, more green in the pocket! This is goes for "fun" items. I haven't bought any scrapbook stuff since 2009! I do plan to pick up things here and there, but I plan to shop my stuff before the craft store.

-I've made a solid commitment to reusable bags. When I bring my lunch to school, I tend to use a plastic bag, but I make sure to recycle it by using it again. We still have a GIANT bag of plastic bags in our garage, and I plan to use the larger ones as garbage bags when we run out of the one box of store bought bags we purchased at this house.

-Reusable containers when possible. I've even started packing Dominick's stuff in containers, so I haven't needed any Ziploc bags lately. I have a picture of Dominick's reinvented lunchbox, but I'm too lazy to get my camera cord....next time.

-Re purposing....I cut the front of all of my greeting cards off and they are sitting in an envelope addressed to St. Jude's Ranch. They take the fronts of greeting cards and the children make new cards for profit.

I'm sure I've done more, but that's all I'm saying for now. I have a project in the works for February....so till then, Be Green!

Shades of Color

2009-12-31T08:53:00.003-05:00

So, when it comes to being green, how green am I? And, how green do I hope to become? I will never be one of those fanatical people. Things like cloth diapers and washable feminine hygiene products won't happen here. I also can't (currently) live without certain products for haircare and skincare. So, if those companies are cutting down the rainforest to make my face cream, I'm turning a blind eye. If there is one thing noone likes about crunchy granola people, it's that they can be smelly. I just can't do smelly.

So, I started thinking...what are some things I already do that are pretty green?
-use reusable bags at the grocery store
-reuse plastic bags as garbage bags, packing materials, etc.
-pay some bills online
-recycle some glass, metal, and cardboard
-own energy efficient appliances (b/c of the new house)
-turn off lights and appliances when not in a room
-throw on a sweatshirt rather than the heat to stay warm
-donate some old and used items

Then I'm thinking about things I'm trying to do...
-use regular towels instead of paper towels whenever possible
-buy eco-friendly products when possible (Chanel is eco-friendly, right??)
-reuse paper in school (we have a scrapbox filled with extra paper)
-make only what I need when it comes to paper products (17 students=17 copies, not 20)
-repurpose (unloved happy meal toys go into my school prize box, use odd shaped containers to store things in my pantry rather than new)
-not buying disposble stuff when possible (forks, cups, plates, etc...)

And finally, a list of things I'd like to try out...

-recycle more items (my town and my school both stink in the recycling category....so this is going to take some creativity on my part)
-using reusable bags for all purchases
-using up what I have before buying new stuff
-be savvy....consigning a few items, ebaying some stuff, having a garage sale, donating what I can't capitalize on...
-finding creative ways to recycle with kids (at home and at school)
-use less bottled water...but still drink water
-eat better...things with less packages are usually healthier...(ie..fruit, veggies, meat, cheese, fresh baked bread....
-use less disposable items (plastic bags for snacks need to go!)
-composting
-gardening produce

So, this is where I'm starting...when it comes to green I'm not pastel green but not forest green....I'm maybe lime...hoping to get closer to jungle green as the year progresses...

It's not easy being green.....

2009-12-30T12:12:00.003-05:00

So, I went to throw a bag of garbage into our 96 gallon bin (which is collected twice a week) and it was full! Now, we did have Christmas insanity pass us by so we were on a garbage high, but still, that's alot of garbage....for only 3 people and a dog mind you!

So, instead of making a New Year's Resolution to save money, lose weight or blog more (none of which ever seem to happen), I've decided that 2010 is the year to be greener. I'm thinking that maybe once a week I'll blog about one way we were a little kinder to the earth. It's an ambitious goal (since my last blog post was over a year ago), but we'll see what happens.

I'm open to suggestions on ways to live cleaner and greener, so feel free to leave a little love for me!

It's been awhile....

2008-10-09T22:57:00.002-04:00

...for no other reason than being busy! I love my new job and the people and school are great. There's just so much going on!! Between taking night class for my new job and actually doing/learning the job, reading for class (intense), doing my side job, doing household things, and enjoying my family...I feel like there isn't a minute of time to spare. Fortunately, I have off on Monday, so there's a little time to breathe...or at least, catch up with the backlog of crap I need to do.

This is definitely a transition year. I catch myself dreaming about next year quite often, and only a little of that is to do with the very nice pay raise I'll get, pending the outcome of our contract. I'm dreaming of being settled in this job and school, being in a new house(MY OWN HOUSE), probably not working extra outside my fulltime job (unless the money is going to totally frivilous things like a kick ass trip to disney or a new wardrobe from Ann Taylor), and Dominick starting his school career. I hate the feeling of wishing things away, but being settled his a good place to be. We've been pretty unsettled in the last year, and I'm starting to forget what normal feels like. :-(

Greater good, I know, the greater good.

Wishing, and Hoping and Praying...

2008-09-01T10:20:00.002-04:00

I've been meaning to post about this for a few days. Stupid hurricane season. Instead of getting ready for my brand new job at my brand new school, I'm watching CNN and worrying. (At least I get to see very nice looking Anderson Cooper, but still!)

The family is evacuated and safe, but the worry remains. I feel like I'm watching video of three years ago. Pictures of levees with water lapping over the top. Pictures of places I know. Places I know that are still a mess 3 years later. There are people who were still fixing their homes this summer. Heck, there are people still somehow living in FEMA trailers waiting for their homes to be fixed. Now they've had to evacuate again. It's surreal and horrifying.

We just visited NOLA in March. There was less of a heavy feeling over the city. Most of the touristy things have been fine for a long time. However, go off track and you think you were in Beirut. However, the people were feeling ok again, like a remission from a long illness. I'm not sure the worry is ever something that goes away, but it fades, little by little. That worry is back.

Please keep the south in you thoughts and prayers today. Fingers and toes crossed everyone!

Two Truths and a Lie...

2008-08-19T23:22:00.002-04:00

Posted by Brandao...

Object of the Game: Guess which of the three "facts" is the lie.

1. I met 40th President of the United States Ronald Reagan.
2. I met Joey McIntyre from the New Kids on the Block.
3. I met Emeril Lagasse while eating dinner at his restaurant.

Directions: Guess which one of these statements about me is the lie. Then come up with two truths about yourself and one lie and post it on your blog. The others have to guess what the lie is.

We don't need no education...

2008-08-17T20:52:00.005-04:00

This concerns me....

Chew on this

2008-08-12T09:07:00.003-04:00

"Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people."

-Eleanor Roosevelt

I'm it!

2008-08-09T23:03:00.002-04:00

Tagged by Daisy...

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?

Gulp! Ten years ago I graduated college and was applying for teaching jobs. I was working in the bank formerly known as Statewide Savings, where I was realizing the exact reasons why I went to college! I was most likely spending too much money on cool stuff for my new classroom.

2. What are 5 things on my to-do list today? Well, it's 11pm, so 5 things on tomorrow's to do list are: change the sheets on my bed, look at houses with our realtor, exchange a gift at Marshall's, make out some bank deposits for Monday, and return 2 DVD's to the video store.

3. Snacks I enjoy: chocolate ice cream, vanilla ice cream, party cake ice cream, peanut butter ice cream...there's a theme here.

4. Places I’ve lived: All NJ: Jersey City, Madison, Belmar :-P, Bayonne, TBD

5. Things I would do if I were a billionaire: Pay off mine and my sister's student loans, buy a house free and clear, ensure that my parents and inlaws can retire, college fund for DOM, hire a personal trainer, chef, and fashion consultant.

Hmm...I'll tag Husband and anyone else who wants to play!

Field Trip

2008-07-22T23:16:00.002-04:00

I want to go here. It's a scrapbook store in Quakertown, Pennsylvania. It's not near anyplace I need to be in Pennsylvania....but I WANNA GO!!

Want to come with me??

NKOTB!

2008-07-21T22:23:00.002-04:00

Oh, I'm not talking about New Kids on the BLOCK....I meant New Kid on the Blogroll! Go over and check him out!

You Don't Think Your Shit Stinks?? I DO!

2008-07-19T23:40:00.003-04:00

HA HA HA...I made a funny...see you next year. I only get one.

But anyways...we went out on a day trip to Wild West City, which is an entirely seperate story unto itself. As we are driving on Route 280, it suddenly starts to smell...bad.

We figured...ehh...we're driving on a hot, sticky day by Newark/Harrison, maybe it's coming from the train station or a factory. So we keep driving. However, it still smells, and it's getting worse. Well, Irvington?? No, really, it still smells bad and we're like 15 miles past where the stink began. I'm thinking we ran over some mutant skunk who ate brussel sprouts for dinner last night...when we notice that there's a GIANT manure truck flinging SHIT onto our car. Yeah, thanks a bunch, "Nature's Way" for your loose netting on top of your freshly dug up poop. Husband managed to pass them when we were merging onto Route 80, but then the S-O-B managed to get in front of us again along with his evil spawn brother poop truck! Now there were 2 SHIT Haulers, one in each lane. Thankfully, the driver of the evil spawn had mercy on us and moved over to the right lane so all the cars downwind could get ahead.

I would have gladly paid the speeding ticket if stopped, though I can't imagine any State Trooper believing our SHIT Song!

Wax Nostalgic

2008-07-08T21:28:00.003-04:00

by definition, to think fondly of the past

or

my mindframe when I said, "sure, wax my upper lip and chin, it'll look great!"

Laying with my eyes closed, I must have forgot what a freaky, puffy faced leper I looked like the first time I had my eyebrows waxed.

I was concerned about a few silly hairs on the side of my face...it hurt to pluck them, so I decide,

tatical hot wax warfare?

I'm a hot mess...I've been passing it off as a sun rash...yeah, ok, a sun rash on just my upper lip and chin...cause I obviously just try to tan my lower face and nothing else. Makes total sense!

Trust me when I say that there will be no waxing nostalgic of the upper lip anytime soon!

Down with MYOB...

2008-07-06T13:40:00.004-04:00

It's ironic that I'm posting this post on a public website for all the world to see. I think so much of my life could be labeled ironic....

So, a few weeks ago I started Weight Watchers for the 10th time...give or take a few. This time has been different. As usual, I lost for two weeks, plateaued, got lazy...but something made me not give up...like I've done 8 other times (since one time I did lose quite a bit of weight). It was a combination of things, a bunch of stressful things ended or were resolved, I stopped taking my blood pressure medication (finally!), and I made a WW friend who is super gung ho and checks on me constantly. Whatever it was, along with some willpower, has helped me lose 12.2 pounds in 8 weeks. My clothes aren't fitting well, but that's because I need a size smaller! I feel better about myself, and though I'm a bit away from my goal, I'm only 4.4 lbs away from my pre-DOM weight...and the least I've weighed since March 2005.

I've lost enough weight for people to notice, and for people to comment. That's my issue...the comments. The occasional, "Hey, I've noticed you've lost weight, wtg!" is definitely appreciated. The thing that irks me is when someone asks how much I lost. I would be fine with sharing the number, but why do people ask how much you lost or how much did you lose this week? WTF is that? I don't think I've ever asked someone for their stats unless I was their WW buddy and was checking in with them. I just don't think that's right. I'm probably being overly sensitive to this, but it sort of makes me feel bad about my weight loss journey. Like these people are saying, "Hey fatass, how much did you lose?" "Oh, 12.2 lbs...it's about time"..."Oh, 12.2...only 500 more to go!"

Another thing, Weight Watchers is a money making corporation...I pay them 40 bucks a month for them to talk about how much I lost and how to keep going. They tell me all the time what I can eat and what I shouldn't...that means after you ask me how much weight I lost....don't ask me if I can eat things. Here's an idea....pay attention. Weight Watchers has a terrific PR department and a large marketing budget...remember, I'm paying them $40 a month to say...oh, you lost 2.2 pounds this week, what did you do?...watch their commericals, read their ads or go on their website. Also, I still have to lose about 30 lbs before I can work there...please don't ask me for weight loss advice. It's like asking Dr. Phil for medical advice...he didn't go to med school, and I don't know the secret...I didn't get there yet.

I feel better now. Since most of you who read this don't see me often in real life (except my sister, who obviously reads my mind because she's never asked me any of the above mentioned things), you are more than welcome to ask me how much I've lost. Or you can just look at the upper right hand corner of my blog...I'm keeping a ticker up there of my journey.

Summertime....

2008-06-29T21:37:00.002-04:00

It's offically summer in the land of MOMOFDOM. However, I'm completely unexcited. This summer is going to be mediocre, at best, being I'm working like 97 jobs. Well, ok, 2 jobs, but still....it's summertime dude! This girl's not supposed to work in the summertime! Isn't that why I became a teacher.

I'm looking so forward to August 7th...wanna count down with me? That's the last day of summer school. I'm almost hoping that none of the kids come back tomorrow and they let me go at the end of the week, though the money I'll make this summer will really come in handy when we someday buy a house. The other job is fine, some online work I've done before for a cool laidback company. One of those wish I could work here for real kinds of things.

As for everything else, I feel like I'm just dragging. I really need a break. Except there are so many things I need to do...blech!

WOW!!!!!!!

2008-06-16T21:47:00.003-04:00

So, I've been waiting since early March to hear about a job I applied for. Sort of an exclusive job where you work one-on-one with little ones (first grade) with an intense reading program. Great, rewarding job. Lots of applicants....not too many openings.

I GOT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm beyond estatic. I don't even know what to say. I could go on about the crap I got put through applying and the flack and rumors by my coworkers, but I'm keeping it positive today.

Tomorrow, another story...revenge is sweet bitches!

:-)

And look what the cat dragged in!

2008-06-03T22:05:00.002-04:00

Hi.

To put the rumors to rest...

1. I am not in or recently released from rehab.
2. I am not in custody for any sort of criminal activity.
3. I am not in the witness protection program.
4. I am not in seclusion waiting for my twins to arrive, though ET seems to think I had them already.

Sadly enough, I've been busy...and I suck at blogging regularly...but you already knew the later.

To update...

1. We've moved...phase 1 anyway. Yes, you are hearing a choir of angels singing Hallejuah!(sp)
2. I have a new(old) job.
3. I'm hoping to have an even newer(new) job. I'll find out eventually.
4. I've lost 7.8 pounds. Yes, down to the tenths place.
5. Moving sucks.
6. Work sucks.
7. I lost 7.8 pounds...I know I mentioned it already, but I forgot to tell you that my pants are getting wiggly because of my lack of almost 8lbs of fat.

DOM is great. Rocky is great. Husband is great. We're keeping our chins up and our noses clean. At least we're trying to. That's about it for now.

I'm in love with a girl....

2008-05-12T21:17:00.006-04:00

...named Natalie Dee! She has the cutest comics ever!! This one could be me...especially since my cleaning lady forgot to come today!

www.nataliedee.com

Mamas don't let your babies grow up to be.....

2008-05-04T00:21:00.007-04:00

...Jets Fans!

No reason for this post except to remind folks of the obvious. Rookie camp is underway and the champions report back to practice June 11.

If you look really close, Dominick is holding up his finger for #1.

Have I told you lately....

2008-04-27T22:22:00.002-04:00

...that I don't want to go back to work? Yeah, that's me, tired and cranky. Needs a vacation from my vacation. Story of my life. Ah, well, instead of complaining...here's a picture of my real vacation....March 2008.
Titled: "Normal parents take their babies to Disney, my parents took me to the Big Easy!"

I have to Appraise you like I should....

2008-04-23T22:31:00.003-04:00

Many regards to Fat Boy Slim for letting me use this lyric with my own flair.
FYI...If you are Fat Boy Slim...dude, sorry didn't know where to find you, thanks!

Anyways, our appraisal is good! Every penny we needed. See Jenn wipe the sweat off her brow.

All we have is the CO, and a teensy little paper that needs to be filled out by our ASSociation. Oh, did I capitalize the SS? Well, that's because our president is an ASS.

Actually, ASS is a nice word for her. You should hear what the scales of justice called her. Who, BTW, will be mailing out some fanmail tomorrow.

Again, only a teensy little paper, few easy questions...and if you hate us so much, popular vote agrees, fill it out and we won't live here anymore. Then you don't have to hate us anymore.

Send vibes, good karma, or vodoo dolls. I'll take whatever works.

You are what you eat...

2008-04-22T23:44:00.005-04:00

Look what came in the mail today. Maybe we'll someday have a new house to hang it in!

See more fabulous pictures at: Rinard Gallery

Binge Purge

2008-04-19T23:09:00.003-04:00

This is post 100 for me. A bit of a milestone I guess. I'm getting better at blogging, though I'm sure I'll fall off the wagon soon. It always seems to happen.

So, we're moving (most likely). Actually, if this really does happen, we're moving twice. Once, to my inlaws for a couple of months to look for a house and save a bit of cash, then to the hopefully forever home. With this two part move, I've realized that it's time to let go of some stuff. Namely crap and clutter.

I used to be good at not being a hoarder. My parents used to say, "but you just bought this shirt/pants/jacket...how could you throw it out?" and I'd have a good reason, like it didn't fit or I didn't like it.

Now, I have 5-6 different sizes of pants in my possession. Well, 4-5, because I gave away some too big pants to a friend of mine. She actually started this whole purge thing up. Came to school one day all pink and smiling telling tales of taking out all of her ill fitted, too small prebaby slutty clothes and donating them to Goodwill. She said that her closet was empty, but the weight of the mess and clutter being gone made her feel lighter. I was inspired.

Why is it so hard to do?? I have clothes from almost 10 freaking years ago in my basement! There's not a chance they are in style anymore! Throw them out already! Even the stuff from before I had my son, why am I holding onto it? Yeah, I'm going to fit into it someday, but maybe at this point rather than having a ton of 1-2 sizes too small pants mocking me(and the names they call me, so mean), I need to give them to someone with a smaller ass and just replace them when my ass is smaller! Reward myself when I get there.

This is a good idea, right? Please root me on...otherwise, you need to store my stuff for me for at least six months.

Wish me luck. I'm starting Monday with clothes. I've already cleaned out my email box and purged almost all of my bathroom magazines as a warmup!

Crawling toward the Water Table.....

2008-04-17T21:41:00.002-04:00

According to Wikipedia, the following is the definition of "Spring Break"

Spring break, also known as March break in some parts of Canada, is a week long recess from studying in early spring at universities and schools in the United States, Canada, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, China, and other countries.

Um, hello, March break, not practically f-in May break! We're tired and cranky and have been sick since Christmas! Teachers can't go this long without some time off. It's utterly ridiculous!

However, if I was a runner (yeah shut up, a runner, I know) this would be mile 22 of the 26 mile course. We're almost there. I'll just be standing over at the water table slowly sipping to make this cup/vacation last.

Appraise This!

2008-04-14T20:33:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow at 10am.

That's when he's coming.

Who?

Oh, just the man who holds our future in the palm of his hand. No biggie. No reason to worry and panic.

Let's just say we're either celebrating or crying in our Cheerios by the weekend.

Please wish us luck!

Inspector Gadget

2008-04-13T20:48:00.002-04:00

Home Inspection is complete. Everything looks good, so they say. Obviously that makes me happy, since I currently live here. I'm hoping that this home inspector has a cousin who does apprasials. Why? If he was so good of a home inspector, how come he missed my incredibly clogged bathroom sink? Yesterday evening, when I went to brush my teeth, the sink was clogging. I unscrewed the entrace to the drain and pulled out a hairball the size of a golfball! GROSS!!!!!!!

Unless the home inspector was Steven Tyler from Aerosmith, and he washed his hair in my sink before he left....otherwise, not so good. For them, anyway. Fabulous for us though!

Now for the apprasial....hoping for the best!

Attorney Review...Check!

2008-04-08T18:45:00.003-04:00

We are offically out of attorney review and still have a contract. We have a page of contract ammendments, which I gather is SOP.

Next step is the comps. That's the scary part...our neighbors have been giving their stuff away for nothing. Our modern, clean, updated condo is going for a fair market price...let's just hope for the best. We're not interested in having to sell for a dime less than we agreed upon.

I'll keep you posted!

The Unimaginable has Happened....

2008-03-27T22:04:00.002-04:00

...we got an offer on our condo.

AND IT'S GOOD!!!!

That's all I'm saying for now. Details to follow.

Two Laugh Lines Up!

2008-03-27T20:52:00.002-04:00

Quote of the day:

"She's one step away from a house falling on her and her feet curling up."

Direct quote from my coworker referring to another coworker who thinks she's kust a little bit better than us.

I wish bloggerland was secure enough to tell you all about them. It was funnier than it sounded.

Uh Oh

2008-03-16T20:21:00.002-04:00

Nothing serious, unless referring to bloggerville...

When I put up this new background, I didn't realize that it would delete EVEYTHING, say like, all the blogs I read.

I miss you guys. Now I have to find you all again. And I can't do that now, because I'm supposed to be packing for vacation. Or say, planning lessons.

Ugh!

Suck it!

2008-03-09T11:20:00.003-04:00

I'm in a crappy mood today for pretty much no apparent reason. Well, I do have reasons, but it's a bunch of silly crap that I shouldn't let get to me. GRR...

1. I'm sick! I was feeling better, but today I feel really yucky. I have a tickle in my throat and can't stop coughing or blowing my nose.

2. I'm tired. Probably because I'm sick. There's no break in sight.

3. Laundry never goes away.

4. Realtors that don't show up on time...though I had to pause this post because she had just arrived.

4a. Realtors that bring people for shits and giggles. I don't like to hear..."haven't we been here before?"

5. And finally, we can get into a long conversation about jerks at work, but let's just say that some things are better left unsaid.

6. And most importantly, I absolutely hate Daylight Savings Time, most specifically the Spring Ahead nonsense!! Don't you know how much that messes me up?? Seriously, stop taking an hour of my weekend and how about we spring ahead mid day Monday...say at 4pm??

nuff said.

BIG HEAD

2008-03-07T20:48:00.004-05:00

Poor Rocky Dog

Every year about this time, Rocky goes to the vet for routine vaccinations. Every year about this time, later in the evening, Rocky becomes big head. First time, they figured it was a fluke and gave him some Benadryl. He was fine. Next year, they almost killed him, but he survived. This year he had the big head again. He'll be fine after a shot of cortizone and some oral cortizone the rest of the weekend, but seriously....

....Dr. Dog has now decided maybe Rocky shouldn't get those vaccinations beacuse he's allergic. Holy moly...are you Einstein's cousin?? How the heck did you ever figure that out? DUH.

Husband took pics...I'll post one later.

Avoidance

2008-03-06T20:11:00.002-05:00

Blogging always gets pushed to the back burner unless there's something computer related I truly don't want to do. Today, for example, I have to write my philosphy of early literacy education in 200 words or less. Should be cake, but yet I sit here and check every website I can that involves avoiding the task at hand. It's not that I'm incapable of the task. I need to complete the task by tomorrow to apply for a job, but yet I still sit here and waste away precious moments. If I started it when I sat down an hour ago, I would be done and still would have had time to blog. Ugh! Slacker!

Now that I've been yelled at by myself, I think I'm going to get to work!

Sick Day

2008-03-03T14:51:00.003-05:00

Ahh...seems we're home sick again today. Dominick woke in the evening Saturday with a terrible cough and was completely congested. A $10 copay later we have a URI and an antibiotic...on the way to better.

Selfishly, it was nice to stay home today. It's not that I don't like MY job away from home, I just like my job at home a little more. Plus, it's nice to catch up on all those things moms with two jobs rarely have time to do...like blog!

What will they think of next?

2008-02-21T21:32:00.006-05:00

Here's a product to add to your shopping list...make sure to watch the video for full effect!

Sorry , suddenly I can't get my hyperlinks to work, you'll have to cut and paste folks!

http://www.garmentguard.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=8

MVP Haircut

2008-02-19T21:06:00.008-05:00

Clean part, high and tight, no sideburns, no mistakes.

If Petyon's been rocking this do since he was five...why not I? (For those who don't know, Peyton is the one in the rainbow stripes....gosh I loved the 80's!)

Bad to Good to Scary to Bed

2008-02-11T22:29:00.000-05:00

It's funny how the flow of a day goes. Woke up and it was a rough morning. Couldn't find the little one's gloves (because they were in MH's car...which I imagine they are still there), and just couldn't get my act together. I tried to find some Sirius inspiration but only heard songs like Pink Floyd's Brick in the Wall, definitely not inspiration for a teacher on a Monday.

But, I was able to get a parking spot and I was greeted with a smile from my grade partner. Things began to look up. The day went smooth. It's weird, I had such a bad feeling about today and I thought women's intuition was dead on.

Dom and I enjoyed the afternoon and we all had dinner. I did some work and started to think about posting something about the power of positive thinking...until my sister IM'ed me. Her college was in lock down, and at the time, they didn't know what was going on. Not funny at bedtime.

Luckily, everything is fine and noone but the non student who shot himself was injured. Of course, my sister didn't get that university email as of press time...

So, now I'm off to bed. The point of this post-things happen fast and aren't always what you expect...take it easy and go with the flow.

Dog Eat Dog World

2008-02-07T17:50:00.001-05:00

So, I had a "run in" with a coworker today. Just another example of professionalism at its highest.

Ms. X- (barging in during the middle of my class, me reading a book aloud to "eager" learners....) I'm so annoyed right now!

Me- Is everything ok? (thinking something bad happened)

Ms. X- Well no. Seems you didn't do YOUR job last marking period. There's no Guided Reading or Independent reading levels on the report cards because you didn't do it. Now I have to.

Me- thinking(What the F&%$ are you talking about?) Let me see what you mean.

Me- I look at the report cards and realize the issue. We have a new system for report cards and the kinks aren't worked out yet. Last marking period, you could only enter number grades, and what she was talking about are letter grades. We couldn't enter them last time. The previous day we received a memo regarding this kink FINALLY being worked out.

Me- Oh, I see what you mean. I then explain the entire thing to her twice, referencing the memo and showing her my report cards, so she sees its not a conspiracy against her.

Ms. X- Well, now I have to do it, and that's not fair. I'm going to complain about this.

Me- Good luck with that. Do you mind if I get back to my class now?

Fun times. Then we wonder why the kids act like this!

On a completely seperate note, here's the Giants possibly smallest fan!

Time of Your Life....

2008-02-05T21:36:00.000-05:00

After work today I picked up my sis and ran out to the Stadium. We were able to see half of the Celebration. Here's a few pics for your viewing pleasure...eventually I'll figure out how to upload my videos.

Momma (Manning) said there'd be days like this...

2008-02-03T23:38:00.000-05:00

So, after Peyton won the Superbowl last year, an enterprising reporter was able to grab and interview with Olivia, the Matriarch Manning. Among other things, she said, "Maybe next year will be Eli's turn." What a good momma, thinking about her youngest, always left in the shadows of big brother Peyton and Father Archie.

Fast forward to an hour ago....it happened. The unthinkable, unspeakable happened. Eli and the Giants won the Superbowl, ruining a perfect season for the Patriots.

I'm still rubbing my eyes and shaking my head. Un-freaking-believeable!

Shoot, it must suck to be you, Tom Brady... HA!

PS-Tiki....who's laughing now. Hope that newscaster thing works out for you. If you need some insider tips, maybe you should call Olivia.

Early Edition

2008-02-03T10:30:00.000-05:00

I've been working all morning on a post about today...well, Dave Mertick said it even better...maybe later I'll post an original!

Dear Tiki Barber...It's Me, Your Buddy Eli Manning
by Dave Metrick (Columnist)

Dear Tiki,

How are things going? It’s me, your buddy Eli.

It’s been a while since we talked face to face. Sure, we exchanged some barbed comments through the media back in August, but I thought it would be nice to get in touch.

Still working at NBC? I hope that’s going well. I haven’t seen you on the tube because I’ve been really busy with the season and I pretty much only watch Seinfeld reruns these days. Except when I’m in Green Bay.

Things are good here. I just bought some new suits, which look very sharp. I tried sushi for the first time and, as I expected, it just wasn’t for me. It’s not so much the taste that bothers me, but the texture. Kind of slimy.

Oh yeah, and I don’t know if you heard, but your former Giant teammates and I ARE GOING TO THE F**KING SUPER BOWL!

Seriously, we have t-shirts and everything. And guess who’s not getting a t-shirt?

You.

You know why?

Because you’re a whiney little punk who didn’t like Tom Coughlin or his tough practices, so you retired.

I bet another reason you retired was because you didn’t think I could lead this team to the promised land. In fact, if I remember correctly, you totally bagged on my leadership ability during halftime of a preseason game in August and said it was “comical.”

Well, who’s laughing now, Tiki?

While you sit at home thinking up ideas for your next children’s book, I’ll be heading to Phoenix. I’m going to stay at a sweet-ass hotel. It'll probably have an indoor pool and a hot tub.

And all the newspapers and magazines and TV shows are going to be interviewing me. You know why? Because I’m playing in the Super Bowl! Is anyone going to interview you? Probably not. You know why? Because you’re not playing in the Super Bowl!

And if we somehow manage to beat the undefeated Patriots juggernaut and win the Super Bowl, I might even get the opportunity to do as many commercials as my brother Peyton. How’s that for awesome?

But even if we don’t win, it’s cool. Because now everyone knows that I am a good quarterback and that I can lead the Giants. So when next season starts, I won’t have to listen to pinheads like you question my ability.

Anyway, my best to your lovely family.

Your buddy,

Elisha Nelson Manning

Holy Crap!

2008-01-21T21:17:00.000-05:00

I'm still recovering from the Giant's victory yesterday evening. Noy sure why they have to make it so hard for their fans, but in the end, the GIANTS are the big Cheese...too bad Green Bay!

On another note of Holy Crap!

Did you ever want to jump through the computer and bitch slap someone?? Well, I'll tell you I do right now, and it's not one of my 4.5 readers (yes, yes, readership is up folks!)...I never want to slap any of you guys!

You see, my b'day is next Sunday. Whatever, why the F do people need to make a big F-in deal about my b-day?? Feel free to scroll back to Jan 2007....you'll find the same complaint. I mean, I love the attention to an extent, but you know what, if you make me feel bad about not celebrating my birthday with you, then you are a big poopy head...like Tom Brady, a poopy head like him.

I actually have plans all of next weekend. I have an event that has been planned for a month on Saturday evening, it's no big deal, but an event alas. Sunday I'm having dinner with the husband and maybe the kid. That's it. Maybe some laundry and food shopping thrown in. There's only 48 livable hours in the weekend and it's all I have time for, and you know what, there's 51 other weekends you could hang out with me and be my friend..so when I tell you I can't see you in those 48 hours and you email me back this I know you are being a gigantic bitch to me.

"We thought you'd like to have a girl's day to relax a little for your birthday...Sorry you are busy. Let me know when you have time get together."

By the way, maybe asking me what I'd want to do for my birthday instead of assuming would be nice too...I'm just sayin'

But, whatever...

GO GIANTS!!! WOO-HOO!!! YOU'RE GOING DOWN POOPY HEAD TOM BRADY!!!! YOU'RE GOING DOWN!!!!

YAY!

2008-01-08T22:16:00.001-05:00

Life isn't fair

2008-01-02T21:25:00.000-05:00

A "friend" of mine lost her son today, her 11 week old son. Today was the first time since his birth she was able to hold him without all of his tubes and machines. And then he died. And now she and her husband and her two healthy 11 week old girls have to go on without a piece of their heart.

Life isn't fair. What's fair when a mother couldn't hold all of her babies together, or take a photo of her whole family. She'll wake up every morning knowing she has three children but only two to hold. Every first the girls have, they'll always be a "Jack" never got to do this.

I had a bad day today. Going back to work sucks. Dominick and Rocky were competing for the "most annoying being" award. I'm watching what I'm eating (day 2) and the honeymoon is over and I WANT a bowl of ice cream. But seriously, my worst day will never even compete with Megan's today. I feel terribly guilty and disgusted with myself for beign cranky and bitchy today, when I come home to an happy, healthy, intact family that I can love and kiss and hold and hug. I'm so incredily lucky, and I can tend to forget that.

Please say a prayer tonight for my "friend" and her little boy who just made his journey into paradise. She needs all the prayers that she can get. While you are at it, count your blessing and hug your loved ones a little tighter tonight, because life isn't fair but it's here right now for you to live.

Christmas is O-vah!

2007-12-26T20:51:00.000-05:00

It's offical...Christmas 2007 is offically over. Presents are given and strew about the house, clothes are ill-fitting, the Salvation army buckets are gone, and most notable, the supermarket has stocked the Valentine's day candy.

We had to take the tree down today. We bought a wonderful Frasier fur from our local market (as we do every year) but this year it died within a week. Putting the ornaments on was awful, and everytime you walked by it, a branch fell off. So, before we burnt the condo down, the tree is no more.

On to Christmas 2008, as I have already started my shopping...

Twas the night before Christmas...

2007-12-25T12:27:00.000-05:00

Time keeps on ticking...

2007-12-24T12:59:00.000-05:00

Ho-Ho-Ho!

2007-12-24T12:09:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to wish all 3.5 readers of my blog a very Merry Christmas, Happy Belated Hanukkah, Festive Kwanzaa and a Happy and Healthy New Year! I hope everyone gets everything they want out of this year. There's not too much I want besides a happy and healthy family at the Christmas dinner table! For that, I know I'm truly blessed.

**ps-I did get to go out to the cookie exchange. Social life isn't dead yet!

It's beginning to look alot like....

2007-12-16T08:07:00.000-05:00

....I'll never have a social life again.

Bah humbug!

Two weeks ago, I had plans on a Sunday that I was pretty excited about. I decided to take an R and R day that Friday so I could relax and get some stuff done in light of a busy weekend. Friday morning, I wake up sick as a dog. Drag myself through Saturday and wake up Sunday morning **thinking** I'm ok enough to go out. I look outside and there's a blizzard. Plans canceled.

Yesterday, new plans with different people. Wake up in the AM afflicted with who the heck knows what plague that you don't want details about. Plans canceled. Today, I have really fun plans, a cookie exchange. I wake up, still half sick, to an ICE STORM. I'm "Sofa King" mad right now! I might sled the hour drive so I can go. It's at 2pm, so maybe global warming will do some good for once and melt this shit.

By nature, I'm a homebody, but it's beginning to be a little ridiculous...

My "Grown Up" Christmas Wish...

2007-12-07T20:16:00.000-05:00

Please say a prayer for my virtual friend Megan(Gingergrl on the bollroll). She was just given the worst news any mother can hear. Noone should have to experience this.

I have a list of gripes and vents, but when I think about what she's going through, I realize that things for me are quite great.

I don't want much for Christmas, actually it's been a chore to even come up with anything, besides health and happiness for my family. I'd like Santa to skip me and use my extra for Megan and her babies.

He's not a baby anymore...

2007-10-21T22:45:00.001-04:00

My little man is now offically two years old. A toddler. I no longer have a baby, I have a little kid. Where did the time go?

I'll eventually post some pictures...

Day 729...

2007-10-18T21:49:00.000-04:00

My baby is going to be 2 tomorrow...where did the time go?

Sweet Victory!

2007-10-02T23:12:00.002-04:00

Up a little late tonight...I was patiently stalking an ebay auction! I've been selling some odd things that I'm not using and that's pretty easy, however I haven't bought in a while and I really wanted to make sure I won!

Baby Dom is now the proud owner of an Eli Manning jersey! Hopefully, in two days, he'll be the owner of the better brother's jersey!

"Don't you dare go bid on my Peyton jersey!" says Baby D!

Wake me up when September ends....

2007-09-24T22:15:00.000-04:00

I wish I had a link to this. It's one of those things that's just funny. Dumb, but funny.

Reponse to PETA ad with naked Alicia Silverstone:

"Vegetarianism is silly. If GOD didn't want us to eat meat, he wouldn't have made animals out of meat."

Um, ok.

Seriously, I READ this on the INTERNET, and it was not written by one of my students.

Well, DUH! Obviously none of my students wrote it because that would require them to actually go and do WORK . Sixth graders aren't into doing "work". I mean, work is like, well, work, and stuff.

Now that I think about it, wake me in early July!

BTW...

2007-09-19T22:34:00.000-04:00

I've put a moratorium on people who read this blog moving any further than they currently live from me. Got that folks. No more moving.

Sometimes I think that if I didn't miss you guys so much being a grown up wouldn't suck so much. :-(

Sigh...

2007-09-19T22:20:00.001-04:00

So I have three friends (I think) that used to all be close, until 2 of them had some sort of misunderstanding that I did my best to stay out of. To this day, I'm not really sure what it was about. The other friend who wasn't involved involved herself by taking the side of the friend she was closer to, which makes sense because she feels like the friend was right and she was only friends with the other girl because of the friend who she took the side of. I remain still in the middle, refusing to take a side, because the issue was not about me and did not involve me. All three are my friends, I think....
This friend just recently sent out a family website that she updates with pictures. I checked it today and she's had a christening and a birthday for her little ones. I obviously wasn't invited to either. The birthday was a family thing, so I totally get that (well, actually I don't...) but the christening...not sure why I was left out of that. Over the years we sort of lose touch here and there (for a month or two-not years) but we've always made the the effort to celebrate and grieve, and do dinner when things aren't so crazy busy. I've probably seen her 6 times this year, which with jobs and children, and an hour distance between our homes is pretty good. I'm not sure what's going on. I was thinking of sending an email saying how pretty the baby looked at the christening, since I already sent an email about a birthday gift I have for her daughter. But I'm not sure...

Sigh...I've decided I don't like being a grown up. I'd like to go back to being 12 and having preteen angst instead of stretch marks, aging parents, and responsibilities. I think I'd rather have dreams than realities. Being an adult is highly overrated.

The Day Before Tomorrow....

2007-09-10T22:19:00.000-04:00

In the last few weeks I've found myself thinking about tomorrow. September 11th. This year the calendar follows the same calendar as 2001. It was bound to happen eventually. The Saturday before tomorrow was the last big night at my last shorehouse, and my friends and I sure rode it out until the last minute. That Sunday, we packed it up and said our goodbyes, a week earlier than usual, since Kelly was maid of honor in a wedding the following weekend and our landlord told us to leave. I think back to that drive home on the Garden State Parkway as driving away from our last days of innocence. Whoever would have thought that two days later the world outside my doors was going to come to a shattering halt...and life as I knew it, fun, carefree, and innocent, was over.

It's funny, I have so much to say, but I don't have the words to do it tonight. Before tomorrow arrives, hug your loved ones a little tighter, hold on a little longer. There isn't always tomorrow, so make sure that you spend the day before tomorrow living your life the way you want and to it's fullest.

I teach children who were 5-6 years old when tomorrow happened six years ago. Were they luckier than I? Sometimes I think so. They never lived in the innocent world, but that means they don't know the difference.

I'm sure tomorrow we'll have some sort of awkward moment of silence that will leave the kids looking bewildered. I usually do explain, but this year, I'm explaining with perspective.

I dug up an old article about a college buddy named Don Adams. He married my sorority sister, Heda. Don and I had the same birthday, (he was 3 years older), which sometimes I think that's why Heda liked me. When he was killed 6 years ago tomorrow, his daughter was 5 months old. Now she's probably starting first grade. I think of that often. Six years isn't a long time when you are 31, but it's a lifetime to her. A lifetime she had not having her dad. I feel I owe it to her, and to Don, to keep the memory alive.

I'm tired now, though I wasn't before I started this post. I think I should go rest. Tomorrow isn't just another day, and it's not too far away.

Big Girls Don't Cry....

2007-09-03T10:55:00.000-04:00

I don't want to go "back to work" tomorrow. Though it's funny that I'll have just as many jobs tomorrow as I had all summer. Hmmm....

Adieu to you summer 2007.

"Hope is not a Solution"

2007-08-29T21:28:00.000-04:00

Today should be just an ordinary Wednesday.

But it's not.

Not even close.

Today is the 2nd Anniversary of Katrina, the hurricane that devastated New Orleans and other parts of the southern USA that are rarely mentioned.

730 days since it happened. Shouldn't life be returning to normal? The scab should be hard by now, getting ready for new skin to emerge.

But it's not.

Not
even
close.

I'm beside myself with emotion today. We traveled to New Orleans earlier in August, so these pictures are from my own camera. However, you could never understand the devastation unless you actually saw it with your own eyes. It's one thing to see pictures of a street that's been destroyed, but it's another to realize that you can drive for 5 miles and every street looks worse than the last.

Today is a day I'm not proud to be an American. It's an embarrassment to let people live and die in the conditions in New Orleans and these other hurricane stricken cities 2 years later. Our country rushes to the aid of countries that have disasters with food, supplies, and men to help rebuild and heal, yet we aren't caring for our own.

I'm sure there are lots of arguments that people don't want to help themselves, they should have known they lived in a flood area, they should have had insurance, blah, blah, blah...

What about the people who were just getting by?? Supporting their families the best the can? The elderly? The children? My god, what about the children?? What did THEY do to DESERVE this?

Since we returned from our trip to New Orleans, I've been consumed with how I can help. As one person I cannot change the world, but I can change the world for one person. That's a start. Maybe if we all helped one person out, things would be different.

We'll be back to visit family in NOLA in March. I'm excited to go back, and hope to see some improvements. I encourage anyone who is looking for a vacation opportunity to make the journey. The tourist areas are safe and back to business. The history and sights are grand. The food and drink, beyond grand! They need you.

BTW...Not one of these pictures are of the infamous "Ninth Ward". Most are from Lakeview Louisana and the area right next to Tulane University.

The post starting bandit!

2007-08-17T21:14:00.000-04:00

I'm actually very good at blogging, bet you didn't know that since I rarely update this page. See, I do start updating, then I get distracted, save the post, and forget to finish it. When I finally do get back the issue is usually null or has chaged so greatly that blogging it wouldn't make sense. So I delete and the vicious cycle starts again.

Totally different topic: Cool things I've found while not blogging...

http://www.crazy8.com A cool new children's clothing store, possibly coming to a mall near you (it came to my mall yesterday YAY!) Think Gymboree clothes at Old Navy prices....Oh yeah! Expect lots of presents to be bought and given from Crazy 8.

also:
http://www.hungry-girl.com This is not my other site, but it could be. I've only started going through it, but she's rating and reviewing and putting POINTS on things. Love her.

Here's something I did last weekend. This is why you shouldn't torment people on the internet...you may end up meeting them:
http://community.thenestbaby.com/cs/ks/blogs/post.aspx?App=new_arrivals&y=2007&m=08&d=15&PostName=nj-nestie-party

That's right...3 babies! Better her than me....

Enjoy!!

Summer Fun

2007-07-26T11:05:00.000-04:00

We went to Sesame Place with some good friends this weekend. It was a blast! There's nothing better than the company of good friends and watching the expression of a child when he sees and does things for the first time.

Well, hello there...

2007-07-06T10:17:00.000-04:00

It's offically my tenth day off this summer and I'm so in love with being at home. Don't get me wrong, Dominick is a tremdemous amount of work, and quite a demanding boss. He runs a 6-6 shift each day with just a short break about now. I wouldn't trade it in for the world.

I'm working from home this summmer. What am I doing? Well, I'm inputting testing materials into a client webserver. ( I think that's what I'm doing, sounds so techie!) It's a great change of pace and it's a great amount of change in my pocket. This is a project that will continue until March and my "boss" has already hinted of future projects. I'm all about making some extra dough to finance the dream house...

...which for those of you playing along at home is going to be a different house then you've seen in pictures. Seems Mike and Carol Brady wanted a new 70's dream house and since they have no mortagage on their current digs, made my contract null and void. BOO! Though there are so many other houses out there.

Yay! to Peas and Carrots for the comeback! We have missed you! Can't wait to read more.

Ahh! The prince is fast asleep and I'm going to join him. See you soon!

Shuffle off to Buffalo???

2007-06-17T20:58:00.001-04:00

What American accent do you have? (Best version so far)

Northern

You have a Northern accent. That could either be the Chicago/Detroit/Cleveland/Buffalo accent (easily recognizable) or the Western New England accent that news networks go for.

Click Here to Take This Quiz
Brought to you by YouThink.com quizzes and personality tests.

New Favorite Website!!

2007-06-04T22:54:00.000-04:00

http://passiveaggressivenotes.wordpress.com/

Check it out!

Let's Get Ready to....

2007-05-17T19:26:00.000-04:00

Scrapbook!!!

I am the current title holder of the Summer Scrapbook Challenge. Yes, totally lame, but hey I won a great scrapbook album and beat a very smug girl by a grand total of six pages. IN YOUR FACE, GIRL!!! WOOT!

While I was scrapbooking today, my CM Aimee told me the challenge is back by popular demand! Well, watch out folks, all my chips are in. I'm looking to repeat!

If someone would just create a weight loss contest, maybe I'd be doing better. Or, maybe I'll scrapbook so much I won't have time to eat....

Last season Winner (me!) 166 pages
Last season loser, I mean 2nd place, 160 pages

I'll keep you posted.

Ups and Downs and Round and Rounds

2007-05-10T22:24:00.000-04:00

Update: Down 12.2 lbs which is very exciting. I recently wore pants I haven't wore since before getting pregnant with DOM. Too bad they were old and stretched out, but whatever, they were pre-pregnancy pants, gosh darnit! Of course, I put on freshly washed capri pants that fit before washing and were super dryer tight. Damn dryer! Two steps forward, one step back sometimes.

With that being said, I'm just cranky lately. Quite honestly, I'm not getting much help to avoid being cranky. I have a crap-load of school-work, a freaking disaster of a house, laundry that reproduces like bunnies, and a teething 18 month old. I'm tired of feeling like the one in charge of everything. So I'm currently taking applications for people who want to steo up to the plate.

Thinking about when I'm going to celebrate mother's day for myself. Lucky one gets to host mother's day, and I don't mind toasting the moms, but I'm a mom too and I'm feeling jipped, again. I think these Hallmark holidays are kind of stupid to begin with, and I'd rather everyone save their time and money, especially me! But if anyone asks, I'd like a CM scrapbook, page protectors, and some tape runner refills.

Onto the good things: getting to see good friends and their new babe soon, school is out in one month and 16 days, and the Sopranos have only 3 or 4 episodes left. I add that in because the show sucks this season and I can't wait for the trainwreck to be over.

Alas, it's 35 minutes past my bedtime, thanks for listening to me rant!

Raindrops keep falling on my head....

2007-04-16T16:00:00.000-04:00

Wow. It's been raining since late Saturday night and hasn't stopped yet. The forecasters say that it may rain until Thursday!! It rained so much that NJ is under a state of emergency and I didn't have school today! YAY!

It didn't rain too much for the cleaning lady to stay home though! Double YAY! I've been on vacation since April 5th, my house is clean, and I did nothing but play with the little man and scrapbook all week! (ok, did I laundry and worked on a school project too...)

Life doesn't get much better than this...

Things and More Things....

2007-04-13T10:57:00.000-04:00

Updates first...

Currently, I'm down 10lbs! Yay! Hoping to maintain this feat since I weighed in at 9am and I can't do that Monday. I have to go at 7pm and that means I'll have eaten at least two meals and a snack more than I did when I weighed in on Wednesday. We'll see what happens...

I've done 39 scrapbook pages this week (and counting) Can't tell you my total, because I forgot to check how many pages I've done in total before I opened this post, plus I did some pages in between then and this week, which I have to count up. I'm sure I've done at least 70 so far this year. I will be taking a break this weekend because I have some real life work to do. Work is highly overrated, if you ask me.

Speaking of work, I have 50 work days until my summer vacation. Not that I'm counting.

In the news and in my head....

1. Did you know? Don Imus called a bunch of Rutgers women "nappy headed ho's"? Of course you knew that and I'm sure you knew he was fired. BUT...Did you know that "Reverend Al Sharpton " called the Central Park a WHORE who was probably "crying rape" by a boyfriend and has never apologized? What about the fact that the "Reverend" has never apologized to the man whose life was ruined by the accusation of raping Tawana Brawley? I could go on....

2. NJ Governor Jon Corzine was in a horrific accident yesterday and is lucky to be alive. Keep him in your thoughts. But don't worry about the state, Dick "the backup" Codey has it all under control. He's acting governor (again) and was not trying to be funny when he pointed out that Corzine isn't the first NJ governor to break a leg: "The Gay American" Jim McGreevey took a spill on vaca in Cape May during his term, and Christie Whitman took a spill while skiing in the Alps. Three broken femurs in 8 years. Weird.

Off to visit a friend and her new babe! See you soon!

Thanks Easter Bunny....

2007-04-06T09:41:00.000-04:00

Just when you thought you were safe......

Easter Bunnies...who ever thought of making a grown man dress up in a giant bunny suit and letting kids sit on his lap? I mean, Santa's different, he's a fat man with a beard, you could see Santa today in your local Piggly-Wiggly (I so want a Piggly-Wiggly to come to NJ). Easter Bunny, now, you aren't going to see him strolling down Main Street, and if you did, you'd freak out too!

So we took Dominick to see EB last Friday. We lucked out with a short line, sat him on his lap and EB pulls Dominick's arms into the "so big" pose. Picture snaps... "WTF was that" thinks Dominick as he looks back and horror washes over his face. "I'm sitting on a giant bunny!" MELTDOWN ensues...

We get him calm and ready for a good picture, wait, oh, I'm sorry, all employees need to help dumb girl give someone change of a fifty. As I summon over a girl, MELTDOWN ensues, again, this time it's not stopping.

So no bunny picture for us. In fact, I might actually boycott all future EB pictures. Turns out when I went to Short Hills Mall on Saturday, they don't "do" EB! Well, me and the SHM are united once again!

Hoppy Easter all, and if that EB tries to come to our door, I'm sicking Rocky on him!

Weight Watchers Funny

2007-03-31T21:47:00.000-04:00

OH
MY
GOD

Please follow the link to find out why I'm happy to have the choice of the Core or Flex Plans!

http://www.candyboots.com/wwcards.html

Public Service Announcement: I should probably explain...

2007-03-27T23:06:00.000-04:00

Ok, was going to bed, but I just wanted to explain some of the recent changes to "When's Lunch". I recently started a project with my sixth graders that involves writing down the things you just need to get out. Not so much a journal, but a vehicle to produce authentic student text. As one should practice what they preach, I'm also doing this. The problem is that I feel like I'm getting out stuff in my writing but of course the stuff that's really bothering me, I can't really include in my "Writer's Notebook" because my boss might start to think I'm crazy. I decided all that "crazy stuff", I'll post here, even though anyone can read this. Since my "crazy" isn't exactly on the same plane as say, Britney Spears, I think I'm ok. I'll try to not be so dark and twisty all the time, and maybe I'll even include you guys in what we sixth graders call a "me too share".

Ok, back to regularly scheduled programming....ladedeladedah....

Another cryptic message brought to you by MomOfDom

2007-03-27T22:58:00.000-04:00

I wish....

....that decisions that could seriously affect me were run by me and not everyone else but me. It hurts to overhear conversations about "plans" that should be had with me.
...I didn't have a job that could sometimes be a prime time drama/horror movie.
...I had more waking hours in the day.
...I planned things better and took more time to think about things.
...losing wasn't as tough as it is.
...to go to sleep, see you tomorrow.

A Math Trick for You

2007-03-25T19:40:00.000-04:00

Who actually has time/energy/interest in "inventing" stuff like this?

Here is a math trick so unbelievable that it will stump you.
1. Grab a calculator. (you won't be able to do this one in your head)
2. Key in the first three digits of your phone number (NOT the area code)
3. Multiply by 80
4. Add 1
5. Multiply by 250
6. Add the last 4 digits of your phone number
7. Add the last 4 digits of your phone number again.
8. Subtract 250
9. Divide number by 2
Do you recognize the answer?

Resolution Update......

2007-03-20T19:10:00.000-04:00

Oh, hi there...
I've been casually avoiding a resolution update until I had something to actually update.

Drumroll....
1. Lose the last 20 baby pounds and maybe a few more.
Up to 6.4 pounds lost since January 2007! Well, actually, lost 6.2, gained 6.8, got disgusted, got remotivated, found a new WW friend (old one was estranged babysitter) and lost 6.4 lbs!

2. Join a gym and actually go there too!
Ummm...I lost 6.4 lbs. Next month....

3. Compete 207 scrapbook pages.
I went to a crop with Mom and MIL on Saturday and did 20 pages for a total of 32 pages completed! I'm also going to a little scrapbook GTG on Saturday.

4. Enjoy my son, husband and family more.
I think I'm doing this. Dom and I go to the Little Gym on Sundays, besides whatever else we do during the week. Need to plan more husband without child time, and maybe eat somewhere that's not Applebee's once in a while.

5. Spend more time with friends.
Shoot, if I had a million dollars I'd fly them in, but gosh darn they are so far away. I'm hoping to see some of them really soon! I do have some GTG's with some "Nesties" this weekend and have joined a Mom's group, though I haven't gone to an event yet!

Hoping to be in the double digits with #1 and the 50's with #3 the next time I update!

Over It!

2007-03-15T20:42:00.000-04:00

Update:

Missing item has not revealed itself as of late, and I'm ok with that.

Security guard was taken off duty from our school and may lose her job.

I ate the chips later that night, they weren't as crushed as I thought.

Bring on the weekend!

What did I do to deserve this??

2007-03-13T22:10:00.000-04:00

I'm in big trouble. Well, I feel like I might be in big trouble, but maybe just a few people will be mad at me for a while, then they'll get mad at someone else and forget what I did. I'd rather not broadcast it to the entire world the specifics (as to not get in more trouble), but it involves a missing item that was supposed to be secured (and was) that was here yesterday and vanished without a trace today. After searching high and low, I've come to the assumption that this item was removed without my knowledge and I've made peace with myself. Funny, I don't think the powers that be will be ok that I'm at peace with myself over it. Frankly, my dear, I don't give a hoot about them though.
Then, when I was looking for said item, I cruched my baked lays that I brought to work to eat with my subway six inch turkey. I talked the boys (my lunch buddies) into ordering subway and planned ahead by bringing chips, but crushed them in my panic. I think I might have been more devastated by that than anything. Of course, when we finally did get our lunch I spilt oil on my pants and shoe.
I tried to leave early today and some dumb ass blocked in my car and didn't come out for 1/2 hour! When she finally did arrive, she became beligerent and ghetto to my coworker and took pictures of our cars because she wasn't blocking up in! We had to call our Vice Principal and a Security Guard, who she sort of tried to run over when they approached her.
I'm off to the Karma store now to order an extra value meal of good luck, restful sleep, and a side of sanity to get me through this week!
If you actually read this, so for the cryptic talk!

Nothing to Say

2007-03-10T20:18:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to say that I'm still hanging in...but I haven't anything to say. Everthing is pretty much status quo around here. Sometimes no news is good news!

Tonight we're gonna shred like it's 1999!

2007-03-03T11:48:00.000-05:00

2006 taxes are being done as we speak, so I'm shredding 1999 paperwork. Here's a few memories from 7 years ago.

My Bell Atlantic Mobile bill was a whopping $22.47! I can't even speak in words what Verizon robs me of each month these days.

I worked my first full time job from 1998-1999. My paystubs said I brought home $672 and change every two weeks.

For the summer I worked in Great Adventure, those were good times. I also had a beach house. Great Adventure financed my BAM bill as well as a huge amount of alcohol...

The single gal paid $75 a month for NYSC in Hoboken. (ouch, that's alot now...)

I had a Discover card, which I still have, and had like $.25 in cashback rewards. I finally cashed in my rewards from when I opened my account last year for $240 in gift cards!

I did have a Stern's card and a Macy's card back then too. Not much else though.

It's funny how much seven years changes things!

My Grandma died today :-(

2007-02-26T20:34:00.000-05:00

It was sudden, but not so sudden. "MA" as she was called, was ill for some time. She lived about a year longer than her doctors expected. Ma came home on Saturday to live the rest of her days at home in peace. Luckily, my mom, sister, Dominick and I went down to see her and talk with her. Dominick always could put a smile on her face. Lately he's been saying "mom", and I almost wonder if he was saying it to her...

Rest peacefully Ma, I love you.

How to Stay Awake at Teacher Inservices...

2007-02-21T22:35:00.000-05:00

Do you keep falling asleep in teacher meetings and inservices?
Here's a way to change all of that.
1. Before (or during) your next meeting, inservice or staff development, prepare yourself by drawing asquare. I find that 5" x 5" is a good size. Divide the card into columns-five across and fivedown. That will give you 25 one-inch blocks.
2. Write one of the following words/phrases in each block:
no child left behind
test scores
core competencies
communication
standards
multiple exposures
benchmarks
proactive
win-win
think outside the box
action plan
result-driven
assessments
knowledge base
at the end of the day
touch base
mindset
differentiated
retention
skills
background knowledge
effective learning
exemplars
implementation
reflection
3. Check off the appropriate block when you hear one of those words/phrases.
4. When you get five blocks horizontally, vertically, or diagonally stand up and shout "BULLSHIT!"

TESTIMONIALS from satisfied "Bullshit Bingo" players:
"I had been in the meeting for only five minutes when I won."Adam W., Atlanta"
My attention span at inservices has improved dramatically."David T., Orlando"
What a gas! Staff development will never be the same for me after my first win." Dan J., New York City

Cupid's gift: A day off from work

2007-02-14T16:49:00.000-05:00

There's only one time in your life that you want the phone to ring before your alarm clock: that's when the person on the other end of the line is telling you there is NO SCHOOL TODAY! YAY!

At 5:19am, you would think maybe I would go back to sleep. Nah! I have a ritual. Turn on the TV and wait for it....you've got to see it on TV to believe it! Once it scrolls at the bottom of the screen, give a small victory cheer "Yes! Hooray! Woot! Woot!" whatever your style, and then back to bed.

Yeah, I have issues, but that's my thing. Now it's Dominick's thing too. He clapped along with me this morning.

Enjoy!

Word of the Week

2007-02-09T22:23:00.000-05:00

I enjoy broadening my word bank. So here's a new word that I have enjoyed using these last few days. I am honored to present to you....

fucktard

etymology (noun, pejorative, slang, vulgar)

definition: an extraordinary stupid person

Can you use it in a sentence? Why, I can use it in many sentences sir!
As a noun: The fucktard claimed the tax check was mailed to the city.
As an adjective: The fucktarded caller hung up on me!

If fucktard is not your style, try out it's "loosely" related sister "hotard".

The Longest Week of My Life

2007-02-09T21:39:00.000-05:00

That's the best way to sum it up. Everyone's sick, the kids (that I teach) were naughty (a nice word for it), I was evaluated (though I imagine that was fine), all sorts of mixed up drama, not to mention barf-o-rama every morning. I actually had to call on a fifth runner up to particpate in a spelling bee. Crazy stuff!

Besides that, I've been waiting all week to hear that Mc Nugget arrived safely. Harrison Aaron arrived today at 2:15pm, 8lb 10 oz, 21.5 inches, and a full head of hair. Babe and fam are well. Now all we need are some paparazzi photos!

Just the facts!

2007-02-07T20:47:00.000-05:00

Sent to me by my good friend Mary Ann!

This is for fun. Hope I receive it back from you. Read through the comments below about your friend and then make sure you read the instructions at the bottom. Have fun!

1. What time is it? 8:37 pm
2. Name: Jennifer
3. What are you most afraid of? Something happening to my son
4. What type of car do you own? Dodge Durango
5. Have you ever seen a ghost? I think so
6. Where were you born? Bayonne, NJ
7. Ever been to Alaska ? no
8. Ever been toilet paper decorating in trees? umm...maybe :-)
9. Croutons or Bacon Bits? croutons
10. Favorite day of the week? Saturday
11. Favorite restaurant? The Bourbon House, New Orleans
12. Favorite Flower? daffodil
13. Favorite sport to watch? hockey
14. Favorite Drink(s): wine, strawberry martini
15. Favorite Ice cream: Currently: Edy's Dreamery Vanilla
16. Disney or Warner Brothers? Disney
17. Favorite fast food restaurant? Did somebody say McDonald's?
18. What color is your bedroom carpet? wood color!
19. How many times you failed your driver's test? zero
20. Before this one, from whom did you get your last e-mail? my friend Kelly
21. What do you do most often when you are bored? bored! ha! but if I have free time I scrapbook
22. Bedtime? It's 10pm, do you know where your children are?
23. Who will respond to this email the quickest? Erin or my Mom
24. Who is the person you sent this to that is least likely to respond? Amber and Ari, she's having a baby on Friday (otherwise I bet they'd respond really quick!)
25. Who is the person that you are most curious to see their responses? everyone
26. Favorite TV show? Grey's Anatomy
27. Ford or Chevy? Chevy
28. What are you listening to right now? The dryer and the TV downstairs
29. What are your favorite colors? Blues and yellow
30. How many tattoos do you have? None
31. Do you have any pets? Rocky isn't a human??
32. Which came first the chicken or the egg? Not sure but I do like to eat both!
33. What would you like to accomplish before you die? travel more, see my son grow up into a wonderful man
34. How many people are you sending this e-mail to? not sure yet, but I'm going to post it on my blog!

RETURN DIRECTIONS: Now, here's what you're supposed to do...and please do not spoil the fun. Hit forward, or copy andpaste into new Email, delete my answers and type in your answers. Then send this to a whole bunch of people you know INCLUDING the person who sent it to you
The theory is that you will learn a lot of little known facts about those who know you. Remember to send it back to the person who sent it to you.
Silly, but a nice way to reach out and say hi today. Hope that you all are well! xoxo

Ohh...we're half way there...oh oh...livin on a prayer!

2007-02-06T20:45:00.001-05:00

That's basically it .

Halfway there....today was the 90th day of school. School=180 days.

I'm having one of those weeks. You know, one that sucks but it's no different than last week or the week before. Yup, that's me, stuck in a rut. Rather not talk about it in detail, but it feels good to know that I've put it out there for all the world to see. "I'm a hater right now."

On top of being a "hater", I'm hungry and out of points. You know what that means. Time to go to bed soon. Points turn back on at midnight.

Thanks for reading!

Devastated!

2007-02-04T20:55:00.001-05:00

OMG! Peyton Manning is married! What! Why am I always the last to know? It's almost like he didn't want me to know.....

I found out by accident. I wish I didn't know. He's my NFL husband and I'm just not willing to share.

I think I'm going to have to seek therapy to get through this one. :-(

New Year's Resolutions Update

2007-01-30T18:31:00.000-05:00

I just thought I'd check in with my New Year's Resolutions (talk about accountability)!

1. Lose the last 20 baby pounds and maybe a few more.

Started this. Joined WW two weeks ago and am offically down 2 lbs, though I suspect it's more because I cheated and weighed myself this morning. My home scale hadn't budged all month and I wanted to check to see if it was working (I think it is!)

2. Join a gym and actually go there too!

Umm...talked to my neighbor about joining her gym. I use the stairs at work...Ok, big fat NO! on this one.

3. Compete 207 scrapbook pages.

I've done 12 so far. I also have a few ready to go into the book. Had to cancel a workshop because I had the plague (or cold, whatever). Good start.

4. Enjoy my son, husband and family more.

Mixed. This month had sucked in terms of work, "sitterdrama" and all three of us being sick. Though, I did have lunch with my mom and sis on Saturday.

5. Spend more time with friends.

Mixed again. Stupid winter gets in the way. I did see two friends who I never see twice this month, and will hopefully see some more in the future. Though, I do feel like I spend some virtual time with you guys!

Thanks for reading. I'll try to keep you posted on how I'm doing at the end of each month.

FYI: Squirrel=1 point per ounce

2007-01-28T19:45:00.000-05:00

TRENTON, N.J. - New Jersey has warned squirrel hunters near a toxic waste dump about consuming the critters because they could be contaminated with lead.

It is the first time the state has cautioned Ringwood residents _ many who are members of the Ramapough Mountain Indian tribe who hunt and fish in the area _ about their squirrel intake, said Tom Slater, a spokesman for the Department of Health and Senior Services.

A lead-contaminated squirrel was found in the area two months ago, prompting the agency, along with the state Department of Environmental Protection, to send out letters advising that adults eat squirrel no more than twice a week and even less for children and pregnant women.

Lead, which is harmful in small amounts, can damage the nervous system, red blood cell production and the kidneys.

"We've known for a long time something was wrong here, we just didn't know what it was," resident Myrtle Van Dunk said.

Residents and many environmental activists believe the lead comes from toxic waste, including paint sludge, dumped in the area by the Ford Motor Co. during the 1960s and early 1970s, from its now-closed car manufacturing plant in Mahwah.

Ford is removing thousands of tons of waste from a 500-acre former mining property in the Ringwood area. The site was recently relisted on the federal Superfund list, a ranking of the country's worst environmental dump sites, after multiple cleanups failed to remove all the sludge.

It's my birthday and I'll blog if I want to....

2007-01-27T19:03:00.000-05:00

What's up with the idea that you have to "do stuff" on your birthday? Ok, I know normal folks "do stuff" on their birthday, but shouldn't you be allowed to just "do nothing" if you want to??

I've been sick this week, I've worked like 500 overtime hours, I've had child care drama, I have family drama, I have and had crazy peeps work drama, so why do I need b'day drama?

I've now missed b'day dinner. Not that I had one planned. It's just that it's 7pm, and I haven't "done stuff" yet. I napped. And you know what, that makes me happy.

Happy Birthday to me!

Yucky!

2007-01-23T22:10:00.000-05:00

That's how I feel right now. My throat hurts, my nose hurts, my eyes hurt (and are watery), my ears are clogged. My head hurts, it feels heavy. Everything tastes funny.

Yucky! :-(

I hate knowing that I'm getting sick.
Thanks for listening.

If I die young, it's the Colts fault!

2007-01-21T22:21:00.001-05:00

Ummm....did you see what just happened? I have to post because now I can't sleep. The Colts, my Peyton, were getting their behinds spanked by New England, then they pull off the biggest comeback ever. Never ahead until a minute left, then, BAM! Touchdown. 22 seconds left and they intercept taking it away from the Pats.

Peyton and friends, I'm so happy you won, however the anxiety and stress you caused your fans was unfair and a bit scary at times. I can't sleep now, and *I* have to educate children tomorrow. That's just wrong.

So, two weeks from today, please start the ass whopping early, and bring it often.

Love always, me

The early bird cathces the worm.....

2007-01-21T14:02:00.000-05:00

...then realizes she has no idea what to do next!

So, for the very first time ever, a teacher finished a book before it was supposed to be finished. I'm that teacher. And boy am I "fluffed"! (my new special word for the f-word:-D)

So I thought it would be great to be finished 5 school days early, but no, because the minute I finished I realized that I have ABSOULTELY NOTHING to teach for reading for the next 5 days and I'm probably going to evaluated during this time.

Fluff fluff fluff fluff fluff!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now I sit here "writing my lesson plans" and am lost for ideas. I didn't realize it on Friday when I left school, so I have nothing with me.

Anyone have any suggestions as to what inner city sixth graders are lacking, that I can accomplish in oh, say 5 days? Yeah, sounded easy till I added in the that second part....

Back to "work"!

There's no business like snow business...

2007-01-15T13:37:00.000-05:00

Lucky for me I'm not in "snow business"!
We had 2.5 flurries (like two and a half flurries, not inches) the other day and it looks like that may be all the snow we get this season. I'm perfectly ok with that. I'd much rather get out of school on June 22nd than use snow days at this point.

I'm sure I'll eat my words and it will snow buckets really soon!