Blinders

It's very close to the end of school. Seniors are done tomorrow. Other kids are done in one week. I'm done a week from tomorrow. We're in survival mode. Get this done. Make it out with grades intact. Complete the last To Do list.

Unfortunately, this means ignoring other things in my life. Like my dishes. I just don't seem to care about them. I mean, I notice "Whoa. They're piling up." but I don't stop to do them very often. I come home from work and stare at the wall. I go to bed at 9. I eat junk food. It's a vicious cycle that I only hope will stop next week.

Take today, for instance. I woke up at 5 (alarm went off at 4:45). Got ready to walk on my treadmill, but decided to check my e-mail first. Fatal move. By the time I finished with email, it was 5:16 and too late to get in 30 minutes of walking AND make my lunch, etc. So, I opt out of walking. Bad decision, I know, but I seem to be making wimpy decisions like that all over the place. It's a vicious cycle that I only hope will stop next week.

Movie of the Day: Nanny McFee. They had issues too.

P.S. Happy Birthday, Dad!

Crafts

Has anyone done any interesting crafts lately? I'm looking for some summer activities.

Tabs

My new weird hobby is to look at the license tabs on the cars ahead of me to see if they're up. Every so often, I do find some that need renewing. Recently, it was a coworker and I struggled with whether or not to tell them. Eventually I did. I started by saying "I have this new weird hobby... and I noticed your tabs are up. A couple months ago."

Yep, I'm weird.

Movie of the Day: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. Cut down on your beverage intake before going. It's a long one.

Office Supplies

I like office supplies. I like anything that would help with organizing something. I'm an organizing junkie, actually.

This past week, I went to a friend's house to help her mentee study for a test. I brought pencils, post-its, yellow note cards, and mini highlighters. You can't study without fun office supplies!!!

I get jazzed at Office Max. I don't even have to buy anything, just walk around.

Movie of the Day: Office Space. Staplers are fun too.

Class Personality

Each Spring, seniors around the country (world?) have graduation parties at their homes or in nearby restaurants/community centers. In recent years, kids have been inviting their teachers to attend.

When I was in high school, I NEVER would have invited a teacher. Never. We didn't even think about it. My younger brother invited his Spanish teacher, who did attend.

Some years, I'm invited to one or two parties and attend sporadically. Last year, I attended one party and sat with the kids (teens) and interrogated them about what they're going to do with themselves next. Nicely, of course.

This year, so far, I've been invited to 5 parties. This is a record. Is this class more social? More teacher-accepting? More connected? Who knows?

Movie of the Day: With Honors.

Chock Full O' Ideas

Sometimes, I wish I could just sit around and think of solutions for problems. Not math problems, necessarily, though I like those, but more dilemmas that friends have.

How can I get all of __________ done?

How do I approach a problem with so and so?

What should I wear today? (answer: a black t-shirt and capris)

What song should choir sing for Michelle's last Sunday? (That answer came today!)

So on and so on. I'm chock full o' ideas.

Movie of the Day: Death to Smoochy. Funny!!!!

Learn This

A couple days ago, one of my classes (a small one) started talking about middle names. We went around the room and guessed everyone's name. Is that weird? Then, I memorized them. Once I proved that I knew them, we moved on to birthdays. Again, I memorized them. The weird thing is that I like memorizing things. It was fun. I probably need to come up with more things to memorize to keep my mind sharp (or sharpen it). Hmmmm.....

Yes, I have odd students.

Movie of the Day: The Last King of Scotland. Excellent. Brutal. Shocking.

Silly Things I Like

Pre-school art projects
Pop Rocks
bouncy rubber balls
Laffy Taffy
Stuffed animals
Sidewalk chalk
Pez dispensers (not even the candy, so much)
Slinkies
Wind-up toys
The Fisher-Price musical apple toy

Whoa

My alarm went off at 4:45 this morning and I couldn't figure out what day of the week it was. It couldn't possibly be Monday, right?

Then, as I was sitting here, just now, thinking about what to write and how many days there are left of school, I realized that we are at 18, but after this week, we'll be at 13 and somehow 18 seems like a long time, but 13 doesn't. A week can fly by. Whoa.

Movie of the Day: Calendar Girls.

Transition Time

I just read an awesome quote that said:

All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on. ~ Havelock Ellis

It seems like so many people in my circle of friends, family, and colleagues are in a state of flux. It's somehow more than antsiness. More than ready for Spring. People are thinking of major life changes. Should I move? Should I get a new job? Should I still date him?

Is it Spring Fever?
Is it the world climate?
Is it society?
Is it a hole we are all looking to fill?

What am I letting go of that I should be holding on to and what am I holding on to that I should be letting go?

Movie of the Day: Garden State.

Imagine This

It's 12:30 in the afternoon. You are about to start teaching your 5th class of the day. You look out at a sea of flushed faces, chatting, anxious to finish the school day and head out to the 81 degree weather.

You, however, know that you can't succumb to their pleas to go outside for the hour. They would not do their work. They would bask in the sun and talk.

Are you cynical about taking kids outside? Yes. Why? Because the very first year you taught, you took a group outside and two boys got into a fist fight. Two non-trouble-makers. Surprised the fun right out of you. Ten years later, you still won't let kids go outside.

Here's to today's forecast of 51 degrees!!!

Movie of the Day: The Hot Chick

Pack the Car

I'm in the mood for a road trip. Doesn't have to be long, just something to get movin'.

Comments Wanted

Okay, so it's been eons since any of my posts had more than 3 comments. Do you think we can get up to 10? 15?

Need a topic? Pick your own topic? Sign your name?

Possible topic: If you could ask anyone anything, whom would you ask and what would you say?

Movie of the Day: My Date with Drew. Inspirational.

Self-Preservation

Okay, so I'm fighting a "Should" today. I "Should" go to the school play. I "Should." However, it's going to be a downer and I just really need some time at home to be alone and wander my house aimlessly, putzing with whatever. It feels selfish, wimpy, and rude to my students, but I'm going to do it any way.

Movie of the Day: Dream Girls. Intense. Good.

Charity T-shirts

A friend of mine has a Buzz Kill t-shirt, supporting Nothing But Nets, a program to help families in Africa who need a net to cover their beds while they sleep so they aren't bitten by mosquitoes and infected with malaria. Great cause. I was planning to get a shirt, but I don't think they're my style. For one, they're orange. Not a big orange wearer. I'll just donate some money instead.

My quest for this weekend is to find other shirt options out there. Should be fun.

Movie of the Day: A Clockwork Orange. tee hee.

Tough One

I've been IM-ing a fellow and yesterday we decided to avoid the topic of work. It was so difficult!!! Teaching is so consuming (he's a teacher too). I'm going to have to brainstorm topics of discussion.

Any suggestions?

Movie of the Day: School Ties.

Exciting

I have a feeling something exciting is going to happen today. I don't know what. It's just a feeling. I'm in a good mood, which might not seem weird because I try to seem like I'm in a good mood most of the time. Today, I'm feeling it too!

Movie of the Day: The Good Girl. I actually didn't like this movie. It was too depressing. However, you might like it.

Happy May Day!!!