Procrastinate No More

Well, I'm up at a "decent" hour this morning so I can go to school and set up my room. I planned to go on Tuesday, but found an excuse to not go. Lucky break. Now, I have to go. Must un-secure the room and free my stuff from its stuffy Summer storage.

It wouldn't be so bad if it didn't land me right back where I was last Spring. I mean, it's the same room, but all of the emotions/worries/issues are right there waiting for me. As soon as I start to think about school, I think about kids and all of their hardships (and sometimes annoying behavior). Maybe teachers should swap room prep.

Movie of the Day: Not really a movie, but what has been consuming lots of my time: House. Seasons 1 & 2 are out and Season 3 starts on Tuesday. Such a good show!!!

Weird

Who was the weirdest teacher you ever had? (Feel free to a name change to protect the strange.)

Movie of the Day: Matilda. Weird teachers (& principal).

My Weekend

What a weekend! Friday morning, I drove to the Cities to pick up my friend Joy (anonymous commenter) at the airport. On my way, I stopped at Sixth Chamber bookstore to see what all the hype was about. It was nice and I found two books.

Then, after circling the airport a bit (just a little), I picked up Joy and we headed to St. Olaf for a mini-reunion with friends. We had lunch at Hogan Brothers (worth the drive right there) and then we all headed to campus. The huge storm that Dave talked about did major damage at St. Olaf. There were cars without any glass. Offices were told to close at noon and conferences were cancelled. Unfortunately, we couldn't even spend our money at the bookstore. So, we wandered and reminisced as best we could.

Now, normally, this would be enough fun for one day, but not Friday. Friday, we headed back to St. Paul to go to the Fair. We parked at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church and hopped a shuttle. Thank goodness, too! I don't know my way around enough to know the sneaky places to park.

We met up with Heather and Jeff and wandered around eating. I had: mini donuts, 1919 rootbeer, and a pickle on a stick. Odd dinner, huh? We rode the gondola/ski lift thingy to get a good view and listened to Rascal Flatts from outside the stadium. I did not buy a bucket of cookies because I'm too cheap to spend $12 on about 20 cookies.

That was Friday.

Saturday, we woke up late and had brunch at the Mall of America. I know, not really the cuisine of choice, but by that time, I was so hungry I didn't care. Next, we shopped. Finally, Joy went to the wedding (reason for being in town) and I went to more bookstores. Follow that up with dinner at Ikea (I know, we're weird) and I headed home.

I'm wiped.

Movie of the Day: Only You. Two friends wandering around Italy looking for a guy.

Hi

An interesting question posed at Book Club last night by Julie:

If you could hop into any book, which would you choose?



Movie of the Day: Open for suggestions....

It's Official

I'm going to the State Fair tomorrow night! Yep, me. Becca. State Fair. I should probably try to get some sedatives for the crowdiness, huh? Yikes. I've heard a lot about the bag of chocolate chip cookies. I also like corn on the cob on a stick. Maybe a pickle. Then, I'll be on my best eating behavior for the next decade or so. Ha. Right....

Any way, I'll have to report back, huh? I also get to go to Olaf tomorrow and wander around campus with some friends. It should be fun and relaxing.

Movie of the Day: Freaky Friday.

Pottery: Revisited

I'm off to the pottery place again this morning, only this time, there will be 9 others in tow. The youth group from my church and some enthusiastic adults are going to caravan to The Potter's Shed in Shell Lake, WI. I'm psyched. It's my new happy place! I even have a mental plan for my painting.

I'll try to post some pictures soon!

Movie of the Day: Harry Potter and _______________. Take your pick.

Quotes

Some of My Favorite Quotes (Some previously mentioned)

He who laughs, lasts. ~ Mary Pettibone Poole

The universe is full of magical things, patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper. ~ Eden Phillpotts

Dare to be naive. ~ Buckminster Fuller

Better than a thousand useless words is one single word that gives peace. ~ The Dhammapada

Birthdays are good for you. Statistics show that the people who have the most live the longest. ~ ?

A friend is a gift you give yourself. ~ Robert Louis Stevenson

Everything is sweetened by risk. ~ Alexander Smith

There comes that mysterious meeting in life when someone acknowledges who we are and what we can be, igniting the circuits of our highest potential. ~ Rusty Berkus

Black holes are where God divided by zero. ~ Steven Wright

Friends may come and go, but enemies accumulate. ~ Thomas Jones

Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup. ~ Bumper Sticker

There are two rules for success in life:
1. Don't tell people everything you know.
~ Bumper Sticker

Those who are happiest are those who do the most for others. ~Booker T. Washington

Imagine yourself magic. ~ SARK

There is only one of you in all time. ~ Martha Graham

Cluster together like stars. ~ Henry Miller

He had a full dose of weirdness this morning. ~ Coworker

A man can't get rich if he takes proper care of his family. ~ Navajo saying

Love is like pi: natural, irrational, and very important. ~ Lisa Hoffman

I know Kung Fu, Karate, and 47 other dangerous words. ~ Jo Ramos


Movie of the Day: Forrest Gump. Life is like a box of chocolates....

Fighting Dread

Okay, so I can't go into specifics, but I've heard some news that raises my blood pressure and causes a feeling of dread in me. It's nothing medical (though I have been watching too many House episodes on DVD this week). No, it's work related and while I was doing okay with the pending school year, now I'm thinking I might need serious medicating.

So, any suggestions of non-drug ways to lower my blood pressure and stay sane (at least until faced with the actual dreadedness)?

Movie of the Day: Hanging Up. These ladies know stress.

A Poll

Poll: Who do you think is the hottest Disney character? Come on, you know you've had that "I can't believe I think a cartoon is hot" thought. Fess up. I'll share after a couple comments.

Movie of the Day: Any Disney movie. tee hee.

Google Yourself

I don't know how computer savvy you are, but I'm guessing you've used Google or been in the presence of someone using Google. I like to look up people. I might think of someone that I went to grad school with and then try to find out if he ever got married (sadly, he did). I've also found other friends from the past, interesting pictures, and an article quoting a friend who didn't even know that she'd been quoted in USA Today. Cool, huh?

Sometimes, I like to see what other people with my name are up to. There are quite a few of us in Minnesota and one woman in a Swedish band. Odd.

Do you "Google" people?

Movie of the Day: Project X. One in a Million Saras was telling me how her dog reacted when hearing the monkeys in the movie. Interesting....

Little Miss Sunshine

It's here!!!!!!!

The day has finally arrived when I can see Little Miss Sunshine again!!! It's been 8 months give or take three days since I saw it and I'm so, so excited to have my friends and family see it too!!! Eight months of holding my tongue about plot, funny scenes, laughter. Whew. What a relief it will be!

If you have wishy-washy plans for the evening, convince your friends/loved ones to head to the theater for a good laugh. Then, let me know when you've seen it so we can discuss!!!

Movie of the Day: Guess.

Say It Ain't So

I'm in denial that it's August 17th. Anyone care to join me?

Movie of the Day: The African Queen. Cruisin' da Nile.

Books

Most of the people I know are readers. Well, at least most of the people reading this. As readers, it's hard to pass up a chance to hit a bookstore, no matter how many books you have. Tomorrow, I'm hitting the Cities for the day and the Half-Price Bookstore on Ford Pkwy is on the agenda.

Do I need books? No.

Do I want more books? Yes!

Do I have books that I bought years ago and haven't read yet? Yes.

However, I am trying to read some "old" books that I bought a couple years (or months) ago before the new ones. They've paid their debt on my shelf. Shouldn't this be enough to justify more books? Yes.

Movie of the Day: Alchemy. Weak plot, but I think Tom Cavanaugh is fun to watch.

Roads

It's construction season in Duluth and they are hitting the major streets this year, except mine. My road is a little like a Valley Fair ride- swoop, swoop, swoop. It wouldn't be so bad, but there are major trucks that usually use my street and now we have diverted traffic too. People like to go fast and my house can feel it. My walls shake. My picture frames go cock-eye. The prisms in my windows clink. My dishes rattle. It's like a mini earthquake every few minutes.

Weird, huh?

Movie of the Day: An Unfinished Life. We rented it last night and couldn't finish it because of a faulty DVD. It's very good, though. (One might call it An Unfinished Movie. )

August

Nothing like starting the day with some minor construction on the house. I'm not very handy myself, but my dad is trying to fix that. Today, we were wet-sanding. Yep, fun. Tomorrow, painting and then we can put up the borders for the ceiling frame. WOO HOO!!!

A weird thing happens right about now each summer: I'm motivated to get things done. Whether it's the looming school year, the cooler weather, or some unknown force, I am flying through my To Do list. It's awesome.

How are your chores coming along?

Movie of the Day: Indian Summer. PC? Hmmm... interesting movie, though.

Halloween

Have you figured out what you are going to be for Halloween yet? I think everyone should dress up this year, especially adults. So, get your thinking caps on.

I say this because my friend and her kids have already figured out what they're going to wear and I just started experimenting with make-up options. We'll see what I come up with. I have a "Homemade" motto vs. buying a ready-made outfit. The more obscure, the better.

One year, I was a tv. My dad took a Xerox box, and made a neck hole on the side. The cover slide on the front and had a huge opening so people could "watch" my head. He then carpeted the side that would be below my chin, painted it dark brown, added buttons and antenna. It was quite fun to wear.

Most years, I tried to incorporate lipstick into my costume. My mom would let me use her old stuff and I would reapply A LOT throughout the day. (Tee hee). The lipstick was actually rancid, so for years I thought that was just how lipstick smelled/tasted.

Two years ago, I was a reporter for The Weather Channel. I had a windbreaker, messed up hair with twigs in it, and a microphone. I even made the logo, laminated it, and taped it to my jacket, like the pros. Carl is my favorite weather guy. Too bad he got married.

Any way, what are you going to be this year?

Movie of the Day: E. T. Good Halloween scene.

Tracey

One of my best friends is moving today. Literally, right now. We packed her car last night with all the stuff she's used to camp out in my basement and now she's off to start a new adventure.

Her plan is to get her second Masters' Degree and move back to Duluth, with two guys in tow. One for her and one for me. The guys will be best friends. We'll live by each other. She and her husband will take my future kids hiking. Yep. It's all worked out.

I'm not very good at good-byes or hellos, actually. I get shy and think more than I speak. Could I vocalize just how weird and sad it's going to be with my friend Tracey gone? Nope. It's gonna be pretty darn sad. I try to look at the positives: e-mail, cellphones, messenger pigeons.

Movie of the Day: Now & Then. Friends.

?

How y'all doin'?



Movie of the Day: Grace of My Heart.

Your Prize

Alex, you have won an all-expense paid date with Mighty Mouse!!!! He will fly you to the tropical location of your choice AND allow you to carry-on toothpaste!

Please call 1-555-Mighty1 to claim your prize.

Energy

Today is my kind of day. The wind is gusting around outside (and inside, now that I've opened nearly every window and door in my house). The sky is gray, which is just a side-effect of the wind and the pending storm. You can feel the energy in the air and I can feel the energy in my step. I want to buzz around my house and put things away, start & finish projects, dream up schemes. And no, I haven't had a lot of caffeine. Maybe three sips of diet Coke. That's it. Woo Hoo!!!!

You may recall in January I said that a friend gave me a love spell to try. I didn't. My friend Nate said that the only thing I had to lose was my dignity.

Well, last night was a full moon and a group of four of us tried the love spell. We'll see how it works and I'll let you know when the weddings are scheduled. Ha.

Movie of the Day: Practical Magic. Funny. Creepy. A lot like last night.

A Challenge

Today I would like to challenge everyone who reads this blog. It's a little challenge, so don't freak out.

Your mission: Add a comment (anonymously if you choose) with the word "might" in it.

Movie of the Day: A Mighty Wind.

Little Purse

My cousin's baby liked to keep track of everyone's purses. If mine was too far from me, she would drag it over to where I was. She would point to a purse and say "Ju-ee's purse" or "Mommy's purse" or "C.C.'s purse" or "Hannah's purse." (C.C. is what she calls her grandma.)

So, I've decided that she needs her own purse. I have the perfect one, too. I won it at a jewelry party for being the best at drawing a picture with my eyes closed. (All that pretending to be blind really paid off). It's small. Purple. And furry. Perfect for a 20 month old.

Now, I just need to find a couple fun things to put in it and it'll be ready to send. So far, I have some Veggie Tales band-aids. Time to hit Target.

Movie of the Day: The Birdcage. They must have had interesting purses.

Are You Hungry?

I've added a little easy "do-gooding" to my morning routine as of late. If you look in my Links column, you'll find "The Hunger Site". It's a website that allows you to click a button and it'll donate food to the hungry. If you look at the top of that page, it has bookmarks for the Breast Cancer Site, Literacy Site, Rainforest Site, and Children's Health Site. Each morning, I click through them and give free stuff away. If I'm at my folks', I make their computer do it too!

So, if you want to add a little positive karma to your life while helping out others, saving the rainforest, etc., give it a try.

Movie of the Day: (It should be Click, but I haven't seen it to recommend it. Sorry.). Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.

Weird Things About Becca

Here is a list of weird things about me:

1) Sometimes, I think in Spanish. My last Spanish class was in 1992.
2) My second toes are the same size or smaller than my middle toes.
3) When I was in 1st grade, I had an eggsalad sandwich every school day.
4) I'm a vegetarian.
5) I've never had an alcoholic drink.
6) I started (and finished) piano lessons in 7th grade. I quit because she wanted me to keep my nails short, she had dogs, and I felt "Are you sleeping?" was too babyish for me.
7) Sometimes, I have premonitions that I'm about to see a deer and then I do see one.

Movie of the Day: Weird Science. Slumber party movie of my youth.

Purple

I like the color purple. The Color Purple is our movie of the day, actually. It was good, but kind of heart-breaking too. So, beware.

Today, I'm going to a "paint your own pottery" place with my friend Tracey. We used to have one in Duluth, but it closed, so now we're going to Shell Lake, WI. It should be a fun roadtrip. Maybe I'll paint something purple.

Get Goin'

About a month ago, I read The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. It was recommended by Blogagaard as a book that kicks you in the butt and gets you to accomplish things. Mainly, I think Dave meant it made him take a break from blogging and work on his book.

I'm not writing a book, so I interpreted things through the lens of a procrastinator and teacher. I'm going to try to use the book's ideas to get my house in order. You know: clean out the fridge, sort through the newspapers, get stuff ready for the Goodwill, etc. So far, the book has been a great help. It's also gotten me thinking about my philosophy as a teacher.

Well worth the read.

Movie of the Day: The Little Rascals. I'm going to watch this with my buddies Zane and Theo (and 10 others) tonight. Can't wait!

Travel Stories

I have successfully returned home, so I can now blog about travel mishaps without jinxing my trip.

My favorite story takes place one summer when I was starting junior high school. We left town for a month each summer to tour the country and visit relatives. That year, we headed West.

Most trips involved some sort of car breakage and this one was a doosey. We were driving through Wyoming, just reaching the top of a mountain, when the car died. I was about 12, my sister 10, and my brother 5. The five of us were stuck on the top of the mountain for hours. It was the first time I had to use nature as an outhouse (sheltered life, huh?). We had to come up with something to occupy our time, so we wrote postcards. We were not allowed to tell Grandma that we were stuck on the top of a mountain and no one would stop for us because it was too hard to get back started.

Our savior was a Pespi truck driver who stopped and said he would get us a towtruck at the bottom. Whew. We were saved!!!! About an hour later, a truck comes, hooks up our car, and we pile into the cab with him. I had the misfortune of getting to sit squished up against him. Teenage Trauma!!!

Any way, he told us about the history of the area, pointed out the really big drop offs, and let us out at Ten Sleep, Wyoming. It was named that because it took people ten nights' sleeps to get there.

Movie of the Day: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.

Returning

I'm back!!! Whoo Hoo!!!! It's so nice to be home after three days of driving. Pittsburgh feels far away and still not, at the same time. The drive home always feels long.

Any way, I am back and plan to re-enter my blog-a-day schedule effective immediately.

Highlights of my trip:

Hanging out with my goofy cousins.

Teaching my cousin's baby to say my mom's name. She doesn't have "Judy" down, but calls her "Jou-ee" It sounds very French, or a bit like Mel Gibson.

I went shopping way too much, but didn't buy way too much.

My typical travel style is to go somewhere new and then hit all the museums and national parks, etc. This trip, we shopped, ate, drove my cousin to work, and hung out with the family. The only "sight" "seen" was the zoo. Crazy!!!! I had fun, though.

So, what have I missed while I was gone?

Movie of the Day: Benchwarmers. Funny.