Grrr.....

So, I have a few magazines that arrive at my home periodically. During the school year, I will breeze through the stack and rip out articles that I would like to read at a later date. Just now, I had the second incident of only ripping out half of the article! Grrr...I hope I can find the second halves online later. That'll teach me!

Movie of the Day: How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days. They worked for a magazine.

To Do List- Scribble Scribble

I'm having one of those weeks where you accomplish a lot of things on your To Do list. You know what I mean.

To Do
Call to make doctor appointment
get hair cut
exchange some purchases
go to library
call _____, _____, & _______

It's a good feeling. There are things that I've been meaning to try for years. Things that don't necessarily get on a To Do list: try geocaching, try kayaking, try rock-climbing, hunt for agates.

Yesterday, I went agate hunting and found 20. Yes, 20. In a brief amount of time. If you want in on any of the "Things to Try" activities, let me know.

Movie of the Day: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. SOOOOOOOOO good.

Livin' the High Life

Here are a few photos from the Becca Lift. I'm sorry some of them are blurry. It was windy that day. Swaying.....Swaying....



Nice purple plant (neighbor's).

The upper window was the room I shared with One in a Million Saras.

Need a Lift?

My folks are painting their house this week and their wonderful daughters are helping them. My dad isn't allowed to use a ladder any more (he's not allowed to fall). So, Sara joked about renting a "man lift" for the project. Well, my dad jumped at the idea and suddenly there is heavy equipment in their yard.

So, we started calling it the Chick Lift. Then, since it made Sara sick to be up there, I've started calling it the Becca Lift. Yes, that's right. I'm up there the whole time. Driving the little bucket thing and painting in the sky. And yes, I'm the one who freaks out walking down the stairs at Dewitt-Seitz because you can see through on the vertical parts of each step.

Any way, it's great fun. I'm getting proficient at maneuvering the bucket and only hit the house once (just a little dirt smudge on a part I needed to paint any way).

If you're in town and wanna check it out, stop on over.

Movie of the Day: Knowing. I liked it. Everyone else in the room didn't. (Two other people) There were lots of numbers and puzzles, but some creepy stuff too.

Weird

A few years ago, I signed up to sponsor a kid in Haiti. When I got the material, it was anti-gay and that really didn't sit well with me. It said that the family pictures could not depict a gay couple and had to support "Christian" beliefs. Well, I couldn't decide what to do. Do I quit and not let this kid go to school, get books, etc. or do I "let it go."

Well, a few months ago, they upped the monthly price again (a second time). I was horrible about writing her letters (worse than my driest blogging spell), and since she's "in" the program once she really started and it was still bugging me about their hate tactics, I decided to cancel my sponsorship. It was remarkably easy and they didn't ask why. I should have told them that I can afford the $38 a month (up from $32 recently and like $28 when I started), but didn't like their philosophy.

Since then, I have gotten multiple mailings as if I'm still a sponsor and then yesterday, received a letter saying my sponsored kid was dropped from the program for non-participation. WHAT?!?! The letter was written in April. So, where did May and June's money go? Grrr.... So, now I don't feel bad at all about stopping except now I'm worried about the kid. Now, I feel compelled to write. Weird. I guess I pray for her and hope she's okay.

Art Day

I've decided to give myself a day to futz around with some of my art supplies and see what happens. Mainly it means I flit from one thing to another and nothing actually gets done.

However..... for months I've had a project in mind that involves using a coconut shell (auditions for Monty Python?). This meant buying a coconut and figuring out how to open it. So, the coconut sat and sat and then, finally I decided today was the day.

I went to YouTube to see what to do. I tried what the dude did. Didn't work. Maybe my knife was too small? Any way, I switched to a hammer, but my hammer is old and the head likes to fall off. So, I had to be careful not to whack more than just the coconut. Then, a chunk flew up at my eye. Not good. There might be a bruise tomorrow. I made a hole, but it wasn't splitting like the video guy's example.

I needed better tools. So, I headed to the garage and finally won the Becca vs. Coconut battle. The innards were not-so-fresh, so I left them for stray animals and then tried to get the shell into pieces (by smashing it with my hammer).

The process would make a good tension reliever, with the proper safety gear.

Now to clean the hammer and work with the shell....

Movie of the Day: Beaches.

Inspiration

One of my earliest friends was instant messaging me this evening and has inspired me to blog. It was essentially like she was saying "hop to it." She also gave me some topics to pursue. However, this evening, my brain is too wonky and tired to focus on one topic, so I shall give you some random snippets and think more clearly at another point in the near future.

So, let the randomness begin:

1) What's with the Chicken Dance at wedding receptions? Is it just that anyone who doesn't even like to dance will do it? (Think Becca).

2) Why are directions from internet sites so wrong sometimes? I was 40 minutes late for the Chicken Dance event because of my directions. Okay, I was only 30 minutes late because of them, the rest was my fault, but still....

3) What's a good thing to do when there are couples' dances and you're there alone? Hit the washroom, pretend to look at the art on the wall (that's what I did)? Suggestions?

4) Why is my desk at school spotless and my desk at home looks like an aisle from Target exploded on it?

5) Why am I addicted to Cherry Coke Zero?

6) What's the best way to encourage a friend to write a book when they have a good idea for one?

7) My neighbor is trying to sell her house, but I don't want her to leave. Do you think it would be evil to add a couple marks to the "handouts" on the sign and make it look like she wants $80,000 more than she really wants???? (I wouldn't do it, but I have thought of chasing some people away. Tee hee.)

8) Eight (8) is a nice number because it's 2 cubed (2 x 2 x 2) and it's a good age, too.

Movie of the Day: The Hangover. Saw it Friday night. Dumb humor. Funny, but dumb.

Stuff

I have too much stuff. So, in an effort to lighten my "load," I'm going through cabinets, closets, and shelves. This is Round 1. I think Round 2 will be more cutthroat, but for now I just want to get rid of some things that I KNOW I don't use.

There have been some surprises too! I found a little coffee pot that I forgot I had. All the people who had to drink instant coffee at my house, I'm sorry! I've also found quite a few new journals. Now, I used to write in journals every day for years, but stopped for some reason a few years ago. Is it my subconscious trying to tell me to pick up the pen again? Maybe. Or, am I a compulsive journal collector?

I'm going to visit some college friends (and other good friends) in a couple of weeks, so they will be getting a few random things too. I don't plan to dump all my junk on them or they'll never invite me back! T, don't worry, it's mostly kid stuff.

Movie of the Week: The Proposal. Saw it last night. Good movie! Very sweet and funny.

Crud

I started feeling the sore throat coming on last night. I woke up this morning with the pain. Do you ever get a sore throat and then you're so happy when it moves into your nose or your lungs, just so you can swallow again? Mine is starting to move to my nose. Annoying!

Add another movie to the WWII list: Valkyrie. It was pretty good. Intense, again. I really need to go to the library and get something about mammals or physics or filling out your tax return. Well, that's a bit extreme!

Intense

So, I'm obsessed with World War II movies right now. Not the fighting so much, though. Maybe it's the D-Day celebration or my planned trip to Normandy that has me so focused, I don't know.

I've seen two intense movies in the last 5 days:

1) The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. The family of a Nazi commandant moves near a concentration camp and their son befriends a boy on the other side of the electrified wire fence.

2) Defiance. Four Jewish brothers hide in the woods in Belorussia and eventually a community of refugees comes together. This movie has much more overt violence than the one above.

Both movies were excellent and I would recommend them to most adults and the first one to teens. Neither are for kids. They're the kinds of movies that stick with you for days after watching them.

Walker

When I was a kid, there were "walkers" and "bussers" at school. The bussers got to leave early and the walkers had to wait until the last moment of school before we lined up and walked to the door of the building. I think it's still mostly the same, but since I don't work in an elementary school, I'm not 100% positive.

I was a "walker" because I lived two blocks from school. Down hill one way... :)

Now, I'm trying to be a "walker" again, though not as the main mode of my transportation. This morning, I walked two miles on my treadmill. Quickly. Or, at least as quickly as I can handle without face-planting on the floor.

Movie of the Day: A Walk to Remember.

Weird

I was just on a search engine and saw a few pictures of famous women on the main page. I wonder what it would be like to search for something online and keep running across your own face? Does that happen? Would I want to have my own personal "Google User" so I wouldn't have to look at silly publicity shots of myself?

Famous readers out there, what is your strategy?

Movie of the Day: I've Loved You So Long. Such a good movie! You either need to know French or be able to read subtitles, though. Warning: kind of heavy subject matter.

What Would You Do?

Life is a great big canvas;

throw all the paint on it you can.

- Danny Kaye

Time

Today is the first day of the last grading period of the school year. Usually they are 6 weeks long, but this one is shorter because of finals, etc.

I was driving home after school and suddenly I had a flashback to all the past graduations I've attended as a teacher. It seems like it was just June a few minutes ago. Of course, I snap out of that "time flies" mentality when I think of all the lessons I've taught this year and all the papers I've graded. Then, it seems like June was a LONG time ago.

Movie of the Day: Junebug. Amy Adams is hilarious.

Clean

I have the urge to clean the freeway exit that I use each morning on the way to work. It's full of the garbage left after the snow melts. There is a fence between the exit and the freeway below and all the garbage collects in the grass right there. It wouldn't take me too long. Maybe I could recruit someone with a weed-whacker to clean up the remnants of last year's overgrowth. It could be beautiful. I don't think I'd plant flowers or anything that extravagant (I do NOT want to drive back each day in the summer to water them). However, a little tidying up would do an exit good.

I own an orange vest (don't ask), garbage bags, and gloves (for doing gross chores around the house). All I need is the picker (the grabby stick thing). Hmmmm......

Movie of the Day: 17 Again. He was very helpful.

Cheery Muppet Joy

One theory to my good mood as of late is the "wearing off of Seasonal Affect Disorder," i.e. the sun is out and I'm out of the winter funk. WOO HOO!!!!!! Another theory could be that I've been exercising.

Any way, I'm in a group at church that prays for individual member's requests. Mine this week is for "Cheery Muppet Joy." I made up the phrase yesterday and it refers to the "WAH HA" sort of excitement that Muppets have. So, that's what I'd like to feel right now. Care to join me?

Pause

When I was growing up, I would watch I Dream of Jeannie and Bewitched in the morning while we were getting ready for school. Every so often, I wish I could be like Samantha on Bewitched and twinkle my nose and make things pause. It would give me a couple minutes to collect my thoughts or a couple hours to catch up on some work/chores/napping.

I suppose it would become addictive, eh? Plus, someone would catch on that I'm either way more put together than I should be or that things change instantly. Hmmmm.....

Movie of the Day: Bewitched. Not nearly as cool as the TV show.

Slacker

Becca, the blogging slacker, would like to wish you a Happy Easter. Or a good Passover. Or.... happy Spring!

She apologizes for her lack of blogging the past 11 days. There is no excuse.

Highlights of this time: hanging out with people she cares about (in person or online), reading, seeing Monsters vs. Aliens in 3-D, ordering new glasses, and sleeping in a bit. Overall, a nice way to spend Spring Break.

Movie of the Day: See above.

Books

It's winter and I've been reading a lot of books lately. In reverse order:

Just a Couple of Days by Tony Vigorito (just started).
Darcy's Story by Janet Aylmer
Malinche by Laura Esquivel
Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man by Steve Harvey
American Nerd: The Story of My People by Ben Nugent
When the Heart Waits by Sue Monk Kidd

That takes us back about a month.

Spring Break is three, count them, three days away and I'm looking forward to more reading, maybe a little jewelry-making, and some well-deserved sleeping in late!

Movie of the Day: The Jane Austen Book Club. Movie about readers. :)

Silly

I like paper chains. I don't know if it's the counting or the visual aspect of it, but I just really like to make them and use them when I'm getting close to either Spring Break or the end of the school year. So, Friday, I was at school late, helping kids sporadically as they caught up on their homework and decided to make a paper chain for the five, yes five, days left until Spring Break! Usually, I use pretty colored paper, but this time, I used a piece of graph paper!!!! How very nerdy of me, eh?

Movie of the Day: Ghost. Remember when Unchained Melody was ALL the rage (think 1988-ish)?