Snowed-in in AZ?

Our friends Pete & Jess joined us for the ride home to AZ. We made good time, 12 hours, and hit no weather on the way up, so even though the car was overly packed, we knew we would have a fun ride home. We stopped in Santa Fe for lunch and a little shopping, and were making good time. It was snowing in Santa Fe, enough to be beautiful and not a nuisance. So we hit the road again. As we crossed the AZ line, we could see some weather coming. But it is AZ, right? No problem. Actually, big problem. Driving through Holbrook, they had received 10 inches of snow, and the ground was covered. We had just missed the storm, and thought we were in the clear. However, just outside Payson, about an hour from home, there was a cop blocking the highway. Closed due to black ice. Seriously? Totally. So we took an alternate route, that should have only added an extra 45 minutes to the trip. Irritating, yes, but we were all tired of being in the car at this point. We drove around Roosevelt lake, and through Globe, into Miami (not FL, that would have been more than a 45 minute detour, dummy), and traffic was stopped on the highway. After waiting 30 minutes, we found out 2 semis jack knifed on the highway, and the road was closed for the night. Hhhhhmmmmmm. What now? Dinner at Mcdonald's, and a talk with a cop, we decided our 3rd route through Winkleman and up through Superior may be risky. So we bunked in a seedy motel for the night. We checked into the internet after we settled in, and roads were closed in every direction. If we had tried going through Flagstaff (3 hours out of the way) we also would have been stranded. The next morning roads were clear, and the sun was shining. Typical. Our 12 hour trip turned into 31. It is a good thing we liked our company.

Home for the Holidays

We had a great Christmas at home. Colorado was a sweet reminder of why we live in AZ. Temps were a high of 5F when we arrived, and warmed up as the week went on, but I wasn't without a scarf and sweater at all times. Alexandra has taken up snorting as a laugh, and it is one of the funniest things I have ever seen. She is an amazingly good baby, and was highly entertaining. We saw a few friends and spent quality time with the fam. My favorite gift was my National Geographic Field Guide for identifying birds. I am trying to get through the intro right now so I can correctly identify markings to classify our local species. I know, nerdy, and sort of geriatric. But I also knit, so what do I care?

Gingerbread Houses

For the last 2 weeks, my class has been slaving over gingerbread houses. We made the gingerbread, hard candy for mosaic stained glass windows, marshmallows, and icing. They helped bring in candy and we decorated for days. It was tons of fun. The kids thought I should enter a contest. I think I just watch a lot of Food Network competitions. Considering I have never made a gingerbread house before, and I had to use leftover frosting which was warm and over-handled, and didn't have a large selection of candies, I think I did pretty well. Though, I did have a batch in the oven and forgot to set the timer, so I ended up with a black gingerbread man. So I ended up with an ethnically diverse display. Regardless, they had a blast, and I didn't have to worry about lesson plans for 2 weeks. Life is good. I can't wait for break.

Grandma lives on

Growing up, my favorite part of Christmas was opening stockings. All of the kids in our family had the same stocking, but with our own name stitched in. Our grandmother had made them for us, and we each still have them. I had a friend ask me to make stockings for her kids, and I wasn't happy with the idea of cloth stockings. There was something about the stretch of a knit that allowed parents to cram more goodies in them that made a knit stocking so much more appealing. So I learned how to knit. And I made Kim's kids stockings, and they are all huge, and I am sure in the spirit of Christmas, she has nothing but curse words about me when she is trying to fill them. Many knitting projects, and years later, along came my niece. What was she possible going to do for a Christmas stocking? I offered to make one for her, since grandma is no longer around to make her one. While searching on-line for ideas and inspiration, I came across something that brought tears to my eyes. I found a website Ruthless Knitting, that had permission from the Bernat company to publish a vintage stocking pattern on her blog. This pattern was the exact pattern that my grandmother used to make our stockings. While I sent a lot of ideas to my brother and sister-in-law, I was secretly pulling for this one. They agreed that for sentimental reasons, they wanted the same one. I thought it needed a little updating, and because Alexandra is such a ridiculously long name, I had to do a little altering of the pattern. But I am thrilled that the next generation in our family will be able to share in the same stocking traditions.

Spare Time

I actually wasn't sure what to do with myself this weekend . I had some spare time. My lessons are planned for the remainder of the year, my house was recently cleaned by professionals, and free time appeared. It was great, but a little uncomfortable. I bugged Jon a lot, and kind of wandered around looking for something to do. I resorted to knitting, of course. But I haven't picked up a pair of needles in a while. It felt great. And I baked this weekend. We are making gingerbread houses at school, so I have been inspired. I made marshmallows and royal icing for the first time. Then I made these great wreath cookies with the marshmallows. They were wonderful! I have made multiple batches of candy and frosting, and all sorts of stuff. I just wish I was interested in eating it...........If you want to make these at home, follow a standard Rice Krispie treat recipe, but add 1 tsp. Vanilla, green food coloring, and substitute corn flakes for the rice krispies. They are a family favorite, and fun to make. You need at least 2 people, one to drop cookies onto greased wax paper, and one to form them, because the marshmallows cool and seet up quickly. A third person would be great to decorate right behind. We used red hots growing up. Some of these just have sprinkles. It is easy to find such great sprinkle mixes now. One of my favorites has the red and green and white long sprinkles, and little brown gingerbread men. I put those on a few of these and told people they were baby Jesuses. It's the holidays, people need to laugh a little.

Busy sewing bee

So I keep waiting to blog. Which is dumb. I don't know why I let things build up. But it never seems convenient. Blah, blah, blah. Here's what I missed in my time lapse. I got a bike. My ultimate goal is to ride 2 days a week, but have currently only succeeded with one day a week. One of the PE teachers at school lives near by, and rides everyday, so we go together. It is nice to have someone to ride with, and hold me accountable for doing it. The ride is about 5 miles each way, so I get a workout in. My great friend, Kim, came to visit from Michigan. She needed a break, I needed a good friend fix. I booked a sub, threatened the kids with loss of lab privlages if they were bad, and drank the weekend away. Kim is my favorite person to drink wine with. And Jon cooked wonderful meals all weekend. We saw Zach & Miri make a porno, and I have to say it was one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. Very inappropriate, which sometimes makes the best entertainment.
In the meantime, I have been sewing like a maniac. I have been so hung up on knitting for so many years, that I forget about the basic joys of sewing. It is so nice to get a finished project in such a short period of time. I ordered fabric from New York, and adjusted some patterns, and went crazy. Besides working on liners for my bike baskets, I have made a number of things for my darling niece for Christmas. Michelle, if you want to wait to be surprised, stop reading now. The outfits are so cute that I can't resist showing them off. I also made some stuffed animals, but they just don't compare. Until I have kids of my own, I will make sure that Alexandra is teh most stylish kid on the block.

Football Mania

I love football. I hate that I grade papers and fold laundry in front of it, but I still love it. This weekend was jam packed. I got to watch my beloved Broncos squeak out another win on Thursday which is always interesting to watch. They are a little bipolar, and you never know who is going to show up at the game. Sunday we saw lots of games, and now I get to watch the Cardinals on Monday night. I wished we had brought tickets to the game, especially since I have tomorrow off. They broke my heart a lot last year , but they are fun to watch this year. I have to say that I almost didn't participate in my fantasy league this year. I have a hard time with how much my personality changes on Sundays. My laptop has up to the minute stats, and my loyalties change each week, which is hard when I have to root against the Broncos or Cardinals. And I get pretty amped up about some plays. But since I am in first place, I am glad I did it.

Playing catch up

Man, my days seem to fly by. I went to Denver for 2 days in October to force myself from going to work. Didn't stop me from going into work the other few days of my break. I still love my job, but can't wait for the semester to be over so I can have my free time back. I just still feel like I don't know what I am doing. The good thing is that I really like all of my kids, except for one. It's a good thing I have him first thing in the morning so he is out of the way.
While in Denver, I got to spend a little quality time with my niece. She wouldn't let go of mom, but at least I got to make faces at her. I knitted her a pumpkin hat for Halloween.On the other side of the country, my niece Anna, also dressed for Halloween. She went as one of my most favorite animals of all time, the pink flamingo.


I also bought a bike. I rode to work this morning, and back this afternoon. I already feel the pain. Tomorrow will be brutal. I ordered some fabric from a place in NY to make covers for my baskets. I'll snap a picture once they are done so you can see how fun it is. I am a little wobbly, but got some good speed. At least I worked out. And I didn't stay at work late because I knew I had to get home before dark. So I think it will be good for me. My goal is to ride twice a week. That is almost 12 miles round trip.
Congratulations to our new president elect Obama. The world was a much brighter place today.

Go Broncos

Oh, did you not know it was football season? My cat knew. You should too. Both of us like to sport our blue and orange number 7s on Sundays.
P.S. I typically try not to be a crazy cat lady. If it helps at all, the jersey for the cat was a gift, I simply put it to use.

Secret Lives

Rarely do I get embarrassed. I have always tried to live with the philosophy that embarrassment builds character. However, this afternoon, I think I may have finally done it.
It was a quick week at work, and my patience was short today. Almost all of my classes received a tounge lashing for driving me crazy. When I got home I decided that grading papers was not going to help my mood, and definitely probably wouldn't help some kid's grades. Time for a break. Time for a movie. My friend Marie saw Mama Mia and said she didn't really like it. I knew this meant I would love it, so off I went. I laughed, I cried, I absolutely loved it. It made me think of my mom, and Sarah, and all the other goofy friends I have had those moments with. I was sad when I let because I didn't get to watch it with mom or Sarah, but I had an ABBA song under my skin. It itched. I needed to rock out. So before leaving the parking lot, I plugged in the iPod and blasted the tunes. Started with Waterloo, then moved onto a little Fernando. Then branched out from ABBA to a little of whatever else. I sang and be bobbed the whole way home. Other drivers looked at me like I was crazy. I didn't care. Live a little, folks. Get crazy. When I got home I couldn't stop. So I popped in the headphones, strapped the iPod into my arm band and went off to change my clothes when Aretha Franklin's "Think" came on. Now, I have loved that song since I was a kid and my brother and I shared the Blues Brothers Soundtrack. Something suddenly came over me. At that moment I happened to be in my bathroom in a T-Shirt and underwear when I spied my hair brush. Girls, you know what's coming. You see, I have a secret life. I am a professional lip syncer. Did you know that? Nobody has ever seen it, but I am the best. Seriously. Milli Vanilli has nothing on me. And if anyone actually ever saw me do it, I might just die. But I am convinced that everybody does it. Don't lie. And I was standing there in the mirror, lip syncing my heart out, dance moves and all, right in the heart of the song, cranked up so that no other sound in the real world could interrupt the show, and then my husband appeared behind me. He looked mortified. I just about fell over giggling. He looked like he was watching a train wreck. You know the look. This is horrifying, but I can't stop looking, and by the way, where the hell is my wife? I couldn't stop laughing and felt the only thing I could do was make it worse, so I started singing out loud and serenading him. I think he was more embarrassed than I was. He quickly left, mumbling something about how he didn't want me to think I was ignoring him. Guess I was just fine. Oh well. I still can't stop laughing. Guess the secrets out. What is your secret?

A Case of the Good Mornings

When I was in high school our principal had a habit of saying "Good Morning" in greeting, regardless of the time of day. We found it both funny and annoying. Now I am in the teaching arena and seem to have caught a case of the good mornings. I think it was intentional with Dr. Westerberg. But I think my brain just goes on siesta on the afternoon and I am lucky if I know what class I am teaching. The kids laugh, and I always catch myself after it is out of my mouth and say "or afternoon, or whatever time it is. I know you kids just woke up even though you have been here all day, so it is like morning to you." But I shouldn't have to go through that explanation every time. I need to snap out of it. More vegetables & less wine might help my cause. There has to be a better solution.

Goal Setting

When I graduated from high school, I had some distorted views on the world, and life. I thought I could control everything that happened to me. I thought I would finish college in 4 years, be engaged my last semester, get married a year later, and have my first kid at 25 (not pregnant at 25, birth during my 25th year). Career? Never thought about it. Didn't care. Was I serious? Totally. Is this what caused me to almost have a breakdown at 21 when I realized that it would take me 2 extra years to graduate from university with no marriage prospects? Absolutely.
Looking back now, I realize this: I was never taught how to set goals. And part of that was because I didn't really believe in them. But I think in my wise old age (yes, I just celebrated a half birthday), I have finally discovered the purpose, and strategy behind them. I used to feel like if I made a goal, I was obligated to fulfill it, and stay focused on it even if it was no longer the best thing for me. Goals were about commitment, will power, and determination, right? And I was determined to keep every goal even if it killed me. That turned into too much pressure to deal with (God forbid I face life and decisions) and I would plummet in and out of depression. No one ever explained that goals change or may disappear completely if they are no longer relevant. I am already a little off my rocker. Can you imagine what would happen if I took myself to a whole new level of crazy?
So I have learned to start small, and enjoy the pleasure in attaining the small goals. For instance, floss my teeth every other day (my dentist would say every day, but considering I remember once a week, I think every other day sounds right. Plus, he doesn't read my blog). Take my vitamins every evening. Drink 10 glasses of water a day. Blog at least once a week. Get to the gym 4-5 days a week. When I am comfortable with one of these, its time to replace it. Of course I have long term goals, too. But now I know they may change. And I am going to try that super corny thing of writing it out and tape it to my bathroom mirror. Because I am just that kind of person. And for those of you thinking it, I will probably also repeat them to myself every morning. Who knows? If I speak out loud, I just may floss every day.

I quit!

One of my goals this year was learn when to say enough is enough. So far, I have sucked at an opportunity to say no. I am a glutton for punishment, and tend to overextend myself. So today I did it. And I feel good about it. I quit my job. WHAT? I can hear my mom's jaw hitting the floor. My knitting job. I went to see the owner this afternoon, and just told her that it seems silly to even pencil me in when she can't see me for at least a month, and I can only work one evening a week. Waste of paperwork. I am going to still do her class schedule, and will still practically live there, I am sure. She offered me the opportunity to buy supplies wholesale for my classes, which is awesome, and I still want to be involved in the summer. We were talking about a summer camp called Kids Can Knit, and open the store early for a drop off. One healthy snack, and lots of fiber arts projects later, and parents can pick-up their kids mid-morning. We are thinking maybe 2 week sessions. That is right up my alley, will keep me out of trouble in the summer, and will still give me a paycheck.
On another note: For the first time in 2 months, I was able to bend at the waist without grabbing my thighs for support, and reach for my toes. Funny, I was always taught to reach for the stars. But I need a pedicure something serious..........

Shark attack

I went to San Diego for 3 days with my friend Jess. It was fabulous! Unfortunately, the sign was brighter than we were the first day and we were pretty badly burned. The next 2 days were spent under umbrellas and towels. All of this was fine of course, because after seeing a shark in the water, neither of us were all that jazzed to jump back in. Yes, a shark. I have dove with sharks, and regardless of the species, they still scare the crap out of you. When I saw it casually swim between us and the shore I freaked. I calmly told Jess there was a shark and to go in. I have never seen someone swim so fast, after clinging to me saying "where? where?!" As we arrived on shore, she was kind to point out that all she had to do was swim faster than me. Thanks Jess. Turns out they were leapord sharks, about 2-4 feet in length, that swim in schools of 6-8 (we were probably surrounded) and you can reach down and pet them. Right. And some guy still died from being eaten by a Great White 2 weeks before , and only a few miles up the coast. So I think I'll take my chances and head inland.
My back is still a day by day adventure. It seems to be getting better the closer I get to starting work. Though I am not remotely close to ready as far as my paperwork and classroom stuff, I can't wait to start. Mentally I am already there. Starts tomorrow!

Exhile

I feel like I have completely isolated myself. Wait, that is because I have. After having to cancel my trip to California, I was feeling pretty down and out, and believe me, you wouldn't have wanted to spend time with me. But I made it to Colorado. The turbulence on the plane was so bad that even the flight attendants weren't allowed to get up. Then the girl next to me lost her cookies during landing. My back was hurting terribly the whole trip and my view often looked like this while I even rode in the car lying down:
But I still made it to the Wool Festival in Estes Park. Sarah was kind enough to chauffeur my butt up there, and and I bought some beautiful yarn from Brooks Farm, a Texas company. There was a lot of livestock at the festival from sheep, to alpaca, llamas, goats, and angora rabbits. It was interesting to see alpaca and llama with show haircuts. But I have to say, these two were my favorites. I wonder what they looked like before shearing.
Since then, I have been trying to take it easy. My back still hurts, but I started working out with Jon to strengthen and rebuild. Now my whole body hurts, so my back just blends in. I still can't touch my feet easily, so watching me try to put on tennis shoes is pretty sad. Also, forget the summer pedicure. At least I can drive again, and can now sit up the whole day.
I am trying to get lesson plans done now, since 4 weeks were wasted. They are all in my brain, but I have to type up a lot of worksheets and organize everything into a logical learning order. Orientations starts the 28th, so I don't have a lot of time. Oh, and I took on a second job, which consumes some time too. Wait, what? A second job?! Yeah. Where was this opportunity 4 months ago, I don't know. But there is an incredible new knitting store opening in Scottsdale, and the owner and I really hit it off. She wanted me to be the store manager and she wants to expand, meaning I could have my own store in a year. Sadly, but honestly, I turned her down. I decided that I owe it to myself to teach because, well, I do. So I am going to work for her part time. Right now I am trying to come up with a class schedule for her first quarter, and will probably teach a few myself. Then I will work 2 days a week, after class, or on the weekend. It will give me a chance to see how business is going, and to see if I like teaching. Then I can make some bigger decisions in a year. I have had dreams of owning a yarn store. But I really think I found my calling in teaching. So I get to be part of both. which is really exciting. All of these things have made me busy, busy, busy. I am ready to get organized enough that I can live normal again, and socialize. I can't stand being trapped in this house all day.

Cheers to Amy

I have spent the last few days pretty upset that I didn't get to go to Amy's wedding. She is my only girl cousin for goodness sake. And I don't get to see the family very often. From what I have been told, I missed a great time. Especially the Connect Four at the reception (there is a lot of opinion in the Zents family of who rules the Connect Four board. Any time the cousins get together, there is a little competition). I may not have been there physically, but I was there in heart and spirit. According to pictures, Amy got herself all gussied up, and looked beautiful. Sorry Amy. I miss you, and welcome Corin into the fam. Hope he realized what he was getting into.


Zents Family & Connect Four

Bike Processional

Vows

Aunt Cheryl playing the Harp

Grandad & my niece Alexandra

Laying around

I am tired of laying down. And not so happy that I had to cancel my trip to California for my cousin's wedding. But my back is a mess, and I am pretty much confined to bed, with the occasional trip to the couch. Yesterday was the worst, Jon had to help lift me to stand, and I had trouble walking. My acupuncturist recommended a chiropractor. So I went to see one. Now I don't know about all of you, but I was terrified. I have never understood why people don't like the dentist, but I think now, I may get it. When I walked into that office I had trouble breathing, I was so freaked out. All I could think was, one good twist of the neck and BAM! Paralyzed for life. Maybe bedridden isn't so bad. I can still knit, so things could be worse. But I knew I had to do something. So after a series of mobility tests and x-rays and what not, he did an adjustment on me. He was not a hand adjusting type of chiropractor. He had some new technology where a machine did it. There was a piece that looked like a pitchfork with balls on the end that ran down my spine and vibrated bones back into position. It actually felt kind of good. Then I was hooked up to a machine that sends electric pulses to my muscles to retrain them on where they should be not where they have been the last so many years. When we left, I could stand on my own. I actually felt much better. And I could breathe, which certainly helps. So I go back today, and Monday, and hopefully don't also have to cancel my trip to Colorado next week. I am still taking Percocet and Valarian Root, just not as often, and probably won't after today's treatment. But getting back into a daily routine will be tough. I took a shower this morning and was exhausted, needed to lie back down. Thanks goodness for Jon. He has cooked for me, did a little cleaning, and 3 loads of laundry. And cracked plenty of jokes about his 80 year old bride.

Acupucture

Last Friday I went to my first acupuncture treatment. I am really excited about the idea of naturally aligning my body. I started some Chinese herbs that taste like dirt, but I happily suck it down 3 times a day anyway. She asked me if I wanted to see the needles, or if it would freak me out. Are you kidding? I have given myself shots before, those microscopic things don't bother me. But people are a little crazy if they tell you that you can't feel it, because you can. The crazy part, within 2 hours I felt extreme back pain. I had to cancel my weekend plans because I could barely move. I can stand, and lay down, but sitting is really uncomfortable. Even when eating, I have to get up and stand half way through. I have been laid up on the couch taking pain meds and muscle relaxers for days. I am calm, and creative, but not very productive. Thank goodness I don't have to worry about work. I meet with her again this Wednesday, and I am hoping she can fix me. I have my cousin's wedding in California this weekend, and if I can't go I will be really bummed.

I did manage to go to my knitting guild meeting last night where I presented our new website (someone drove me, I can't exactly operate heavy machinery right now). Jon donated it to the guild. It was a big hit, and I am really excited about it. It was my last meeting as VP, and can now officially call myself President. The next year is going to bring such exciting things. The women in the guild have been a wonderful support to me in the past year, and I can't wait to return the favor during my term. My big focus is going to be increasing membership. The website should give us good exposure. In addition, we need to print rack cards for all the yarn stores in the valley, and business cards for all of the members. I love knitting, and can't stop. I have to do a little everyday, or I can't sleep at night. I know, a little OCD, what's new. But it is nice to have something to focus on and be passionate about. I love that I will get to teach it to youngsters next year, and corrupt a few more kids into fiber addiction. They won't know what hit them!

Breakfast of Champions

Those of you that know me well, know that I am not much of a morning person. And it is a little harder to control my nasty thoughts at the top of the morning, especially if I haven't had breakfast yet or done the crossword. But because I was too lazy to go the day before, I was forced to go to the store this morning at the crack of dawn to do a bulk shop for a food lab. While there, my tummy was a grumblin' and all I had was pancakes on the brain. I knew I had some fruit and milk for a smoothie at school to be whipped up as soon as I was done. So I hurried through my list and headed to checkout. But as I stood in the checkout lane I couldn't help but question the breakfast the person in front of me was purchasing: a pack of gum, 1/2 Litter of Diet Coke and 1/2 litter of vodka. And as terrifying as it was to witness, my next thought was "That woman probably just dropped her kid off at school to attend my class. "
Note of the Day:
As a general rule, I try not to judge people. But sometimes I can't help myself. And the rest of the time, well, it usually ends up happening anyway. That's why I like my friends. If I am going to judge you, I can usually tell you to your face that I think you are crazy. But the rest of those lunatics out there, I have to smile and wait my turn at the checkout line

Show me the money! Wait, I am a teacher.

The last year has been a tough one for me. A lot of soul searching and contemplating on what I am meant to do in life can get tiring. My husband has been really supportive of me, considering he was the soul supporter and he had to watch me sit on the couch every day doing crosswords and whining a lot (which doesn't sound helpful, but it was important to clear my mind and help me figure things out. No really, I am serious). I often say he isn't patient, but I think the last year has proved me wrong. And though a slept a lot and was relatively useless during my time off, I think I finally figured it out. I want to teach. So after weeks in a classroom as a substitute teacher, and interviewing, and waiting even longer an answer, it became official on Friday. I was offered a position at a Junior High teaching Family and Consumer Sciences for next school year. I am really excited. I am going to be teaching Life Skills (budgets, careers, nutrition, cooking) and Clothing Construction to 7th and 8th graders. The people at the school from the staff to the kids, and even the parents, have been really welcoming and supportive of me. And now I get to spend the summer working on my lesson plans and practicing recipes and sewing for lessons. Sound boring to some of you, but I am totally psyched. I like to make soundtracks for a lot of monumental moments in my life (I guess I should call them playlists now that I am an iPod junkie) and I am thinking it is about time to capture my last year in tunes. I think this playlist will have to end with "Hot for Teacher" by Van Halen.

Getting over Heidi

There is something about the Hills that I can't get over. I love the show. I can't wait to watch it on my Tivo the next day. I am over thirty and still glued to my MTV. I know the acting is poor (wait, acting? I thought this was reality TV?), and I know the script isn't all that great. But there is at least one line every show that I crave to hear, and can't stop pondering until the next episode. Is it normal to feel Lauren's hostility and completely understand it? I wonder if every girl has had these same experiences, and if they too, thrive to see someone else go through it and see how she handles it, and what could I have done differently. I ridiculously rehash old friendships in my brain through the entire show, and feel my heart go through a whirlwind of emotions that I thought were long and buried. One wise friend told me that it sounds like I need to forgive myself for some things I can't get over. I know she is right, and am working on it. But is it silly that I am using the Hills to help me with it? I dread the day the show goes off the air. It is my most favorite (and cheapest) form of therapy, and a guilty pleasure. I crave it. It heals me. Rock on Lauren. And Spenser, well, he'll always be an a*&hole. I don't need Lauren to see that.

Engineer's Guide to Cats

Uh, this is too funny. If you don't think it is, then I have to wonder why we are friends. I already forwarded it to some of you. But then I thought it was too good not to mention. If you are, or know an engineer, or own cats, you can appreciate this.
Engineer's Guide to Cats

.org vs. .com

Who thought that I would post again so quickly? Certainly not me. But a funny thing happened. People actually read my blog. And my father, of all people, had to point out to me that maybe my link to La Posada was not right. I thought he was kidding, but then thought again. Why not double check before I send back a smart ass response? And low and behold. We did not stay at the La Posada in Palm Springs, Florida, which happens to be closed. It also happened to be a gay men's resort, with a very revealing picture on the front webpage. Oops. So I left the original link, for your entertainment. And will let you all know that we stayed at La Posada in Winslow, AZ, and their correct webpage is www.laposada.org , not .com. And next time I hook up a link, I will make sure and check that I am properly representing myself, and my family. Not that there is anything wrong with the previously mentioned, it just doesn't seem like the kind of place where I could get much action on a romantic weekend, and I don't think my husband would be all that interested either.

Virgin Blogger

Finally. I have been meaning to do this for long time. I always had an excuse. Kind of like teaching. Now that that is happening, I don't have much of an excuse not to also blog. Many times I told friends that the blog would get started and that I was going to dedicate my first one to _____ or ______ or ______or, well you get it. Now that all those big events or moments have passed, I figure they can be future flashbacks on a slow day. So I will start with this:
I had the most wonderful weekend with my husband. When I first quit my job last June, I was really nervous about spending time at home with him. He is always here, and I wasn't sure we could tolerate seeing each other so much all of a sudden. Having worked only on and off since June (mostly off, let's be honest), we got kind of used to having each other around. Since I started steady work in March, I have been putting in long hours, and we haven't seen nearly as much of each other. Thank goodness for a school schedule- we had a 3 day weekend (yes, Spring Holiday, don't you have one of those?). Jon and I decided to head up to Prescott, Flagstaff and Winslow for some quality time together. It was great. We started having lunch Friday in Prescott, and then continued on for a night at a historic hotel (Hotel Monte Vista) in downtown Flagstaff. I think our favorite part was a brewery with college priced pints within walking distance of bed. Why is it I have to pay $7 for a pint at home? Oh, that's right. Because I choose to live in Suburbia, USA and I am surrounded by horrible chain restaurants who have forgotten what it is like to simply supply a good product for a decent price. But that is a little off subject. We then proceeded to Winslow to spend the night in another interesting hotel called the La Posada. If you have ever been to Winslow, maybe you can answer this question for me: What were the Eagles thinking when they wrote about Winslow (I'm standing on the corner in Winslow, Arizona, such a fine sight to see......)? There is absolutely nothing there. And I'm not kidding. It's a good thing this hotel had a restaurant or we would have starved. Random. It was romantic, casual, and relaxing all in one trip. I missed Jon, and am glad I finally have a grip on lesson plans so I can spend a little more time with him.