Tuesday:
We went shopping in downtown Philadelphia which is about 1 square. It's not much, but I think we had fun anyway. Then it was off to Granny's house for yummy food! That evening we went over to my dad's house and hung out for a while. It was great to see all of my close family....really great. I have missed them soooo much!
Wednesday:
We got to sleep in which was awesome and much appreciated. We met one of my old coworkers for lunch at a restaurant we used to eat at all the time when we worked together. It was fun to catch up with him. After eating we took my little brother out to shop for some last minute gifts. We took him back home and hung out there for a bit (my dad's house), and then it was finally time to go to Granny's house for the annual Christmas Eve celebration at her house. My whole family was there. We ate and ate and then we opened presents. There are always tons of presents, and I have somehow became the person who must always pass out all of these many gifts. All of the kids are growing up, and they were definitely entertaining. We both got some awesome gifts some much needed. I stayed and helped clean up which made for a later night so it was nice when we got in bed.
Pictures from Christmas Eve:
desserts
me in a hat
me in a hat 2
bryan in a hat
bryan in a hat 2
me and paisley
paisley in a hat
riley
mason
presents
riley and jessi
us and granny
bryan
opening gifts
grandparents' gifts
paisley
still opening gifts
so many gifts
paisley looking at a book
bryan will smell good
Videos that I took Christmas Eve:
Thursday:
The first thing we did was go over to my dad's to open presents and see what Kade (my little brother) got from Santa. We were again blessed with some nice gifts. I always enjoy exchanging presents with my family.
After we finished up at my dad's, it was time to drive to my grandparent's house (about 2 hours away). We always have Christmas over there. I sure am glad that both sides of my family don't do Christmas at the same time. :) I always look forward to getting there. It was a lot of fun with even more food and gifts. It was sooooo great to see the other side of my family; I have missed them immensely. I love hanging out with my family especially on Christmas! We had an awesome time. Bryan gets along with them so well, and they like him! Presley (my little sister) took to him in no time. She pretty much wore him out. After it got dark Bryan, my grandmother, my aunt, my cousin, and I drove to Canton to see their Christmas lights. Overall, it was a great day. I hated to leave and the drive home, but I was super happy to get into bed!
Pictures from Christmas:
me at my dad's
presley
carson and blocks
presley and blocks
me swinging
bryan tickles presley
grandmother
madison as a present
brennen
mom and daughter
us girls
us girls again
carson smiles
carson pouts
carson's cars
presley smiles
prelsey frowns
attempt 1
attempt 2
attempt 3
cartwheels
not going to make it
showoff
bryan drives
backseat
castle
bryan in canton
us
carousel
grandmother poses
maddie
me on a horse
bryan on a horse
al on a horse
girls on horses
madison and a tree
grandmother/white tree
maddie and grandmother
the girls
couple shot
bryan/white tree
lights
reindeer
waffle house
Video that Bryan took on Christmas (must watches!):
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Blogging From Mississippi
Wow, forgive me for being a bad blogger. I have simply been so busy. We are currently in Philadelphia, Mississippi (my hometown). I do want to catch you up so you will know every step I have taken, but I'll only be getting you to a few days ago...sorry. :D But just so you feel better...I am having lots of sweet tea and many delicious foods while here and am VERY happy. :D
Saturday:
Everyone including me :O cooked in preparation for our Christmas dinner which was just me and Bryan and his parents. We made a lot of food; I provided dessert (mock apple pie). It was a good dinner. After dinner we opened all of our presents. Bryan and our exchanged ours at this time. Unfortunately, Bryan's parents' packages didn't arrive in time for us to open while they were there. They sent them through the post office and were assured that they would arrive in time. Well, they didn't...thanks for ruining everything USPS! I know they felt bad, but I'm glad that we can extend Christmas even longer. The presents will be there to open when we finally make it back home.
Presents were awesome! Bryan got me the best stuff! He's super good! I know he liked everything that I got him also. We know each other. :)
Here are the pictures that were taken from that night:
Sunday:
We had to say good-bye to Bryan's parents. :( We took them to the airport a little before noon. We talked ourselves out of conditioning class on the way home so we could get ready for the trip to Mississippi. Now that I've eaten so bad here I wish we would have. :) We went home, but we didn't get started on trip preparations for hours. Instead we tried to play Guitar Hero, and that's when we discovered that Bryan's new guitar wasn't compatible with anything we had. So, we had to make a trip to GameStop for some trading of old Guitar Hero games as well as buying Guitar Hero World Tour (just the game) and another Rock Band guitar. Now we have the whole setup. We played for a couple of hours before finally packing our stuff and then the car. We made sure the cats had plenty to eat and drink. We went to bed way too late...way too late!
Monday:
Driving day! We were out the door by 6 AM! It's a 10.5 hour drive. It's a long and boring drive...sigh. We stopped in Jackson, MS and met my grandparents and aunt at a favorite restaurant of ours. It was nice to break the trip up a little. When we arrived in Philadelphia, we headed straight for Granny's house for some more food. I did some more wrapping, and then we headed to where we were going to stay for our time here. It was good to finally sleep. It's good to be home, and so great to see my family. :)
Bryan took yet another sneaky photo of me:
I'll try to write more soon so you can see what all we are up to here in the 'Sip'. I hope everyone is having a fabulous Christmas!
Here is a video I took of Bella playing with that damn cat nip mouse:
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Dumb Video
I have got to take Bryan's camera phone away...not only does he take unsuspecting shots of me napping (one of many!), but now he's taking videos (this is not the first)! He somehow got me at Kerby Lane...
He's getting good...too good!
Beware: I think he may have a YouTube channel in the works or something. ;)
He's getting good...too good!
Beware: I think he may have a YouTube channel in the works or something. ;)
We Have Visitors!
Somehow I forgot to mention that I sold the pink kayak. I mention this only to say that this means that I have to add this back to my list of things to complete before 30. :) I managed to get what I paid for it which is quite nice. I want to get a smaller one when it warms up again.
Tuesday:
I didn't' work. I spent the day doing more Christmas stuff and getting ready for Bryan's parents to get here. We picked them up from the airport that afternoon. It was good to see them again. We ate out on the way home. I know Bryan was super happy to see them. We spent the night at the house. I did leave to go to TKD class. I hadn't been in awhile so I thought I better make an appearance.
Wednesday:
Bryan I went to 7:30 AM Kung Fu class since his parents were visiting. Wednesday was a long day of looking at houses and communities for Bryan's parents so they can see some potential places for when they move here to Austin. We looked at some pretty nice houses including one which I fell in love with...sigh. We went to the green community that is being developed in South Austin. I didn't like those houses at all; they were so cold feeling to me. I couldn't live in one. What is even worse is where they built this community...right in the middle of a very low economic part of Austin. How do I know? Easy - the worst school I have ever subbed at is located just down the street. Yikes! Seriously, you do not want to live near this place. Wednesday night we ate at home and hung out; it was nice.
Thursday:
Thursday morning Bryan and I made it to an open practice class at Shaolin-Do. Later in the day everyone went out for more house browsing while I stayed home to do some schoolwork. I then took a long nap while Bryan and his dad added some shelving to our garage in preparation to the junk I will be hauling back from my trip home. The shelves are much appreciated! I'm still not sure how I slept through the hammering and sawing, but I do have mad skills. :) We ate in that night. Bryan's mom cooked all week which was nice especially to Bryan who ends up doing 99% of all the cooking each week...poor guy.
Friday:
Bryan and I went to early morning conditioning classes (my legs are still sore). It was a little rough on me since I haven't been since I started working. It was nice to go back even if it did kill. Some of us went out for breakfast right after class (a tradition). The day was spent doing a few errands and more cooking. Bryan's mom made her famous rainbow cookies, and Bryan and I stuffed them into nice bags as gifts for our friends. That night I went to TKD sword class while Bryan and his parents had to wait on me in the car (sorry!). Then we all went downtown to see the Christmas Pancake Theater at the Alamo (hilarious!!). I think we all enjoyed that.
Songs I'm digging at the moment:
Love Story - Taylor Swift
In Color - Jamey Johnson
Love Lockdown - Kanye West
I'm Yours - Jason Mraz
I Don't Care - Apocalyptica
Christmas Pictures:
artwork from children that I subbed for proudly displayed as Christmas decorations
Tuesday:
I didn't' work. I spent the day doing more Christmas stuff and getting ready for Bryan's parents to get here. We picked them up from the airport that afternoon. It was good to see them again. We ate out on the way home. I know Bryan was super happy to see them. We spent the night at the house. I did leave to go to TKD class. I hadn't been in awhile so I thought I better make an appearance.
Wednesday:
Bryan I went to 7:30 AM Kung Fu class since his parents were visiting. Wednesday was a long day of looking at houses and communities for Bryan's parents so they can see some potential places for when they move here to Austin. We looked at some pretty nice houses including one which I fell in love with...sigh. We went to the green community that is being developed in South Austin. I didn't like those houses at all; they were so cold feeling to me. I couldn't live in one. What is even worse is where they built this community...right in the middle of a very low economic part of Austin. How do I know? Easy - the worst school I have ever subbed at is located just down the street. Yikes! Seriously, you do not want to live near this place. Wednesday night we ate at home and hung out; it was nice.
Thursday:
Thursday morning Bryan and I made it to an open practice class at Shaolin-Do. Later in the day everyone went out for more house browsing while I stayed home to do some schoolwork. I then took a long nap while Bryan and his dad added some shelving to our garage in preparation to the junk I will be hauling back from my trip home. The shelves are much appreciated! I'm still not sure how I slept through the hammering and sawing, but I do have mad skills. :) We ate in that night. Bryan's mom cooked all week which was nice especially to Bryan who ends up doing 99% of all the cooking each week...poor guy.
Friday:
Bryan and I went to early morning conditioning classes (my legs are still sore). It was a little rough on me since I haven't been since I started working. It was nice to go back even if it did kill. Some of us went out for breakfast right after class (a tradition). The day was spent doing a few errands and more cooking. Bryan's mom made her famous rainbow cookies, and Bryan and I stuffed them into nice bags as gifts for our friends. That night I went to TKD sword class while Bryan and his parents had to wait on me in the car (sorry!). Then we all went downtown to see the Christmas Pancake Theater at the Alamo (hilarious!!). I think we all enjoyed that.
Songs I'm digging at the moment:
Love Story - Taylor Swift
In Color - Jamey Johnson
Love Lockdown - Kanye West
I'm Yours - Jason Mraz
I Don't Care - Apocalyptica
Christmas Pictures:
artwork from children that I subbed for proudly displayed as Christmas decorations
Monday, December 15, 2008
Sam The Man
Taking today off again. I didn't want to, but as Christmas approaches, I find jobs harder to come by. That's ok though; there is always more school work to do as well as house stuff. Bryan's parents will be here tomorrow afternoon. I hope to snag a job for tomorrow (it may be my last before the schools let out for the holidays). I haven't decided if I will try to work while his parents are visiting. I will make that call each day. I want to spend time with them, but I definitely need the money. I'm not just loving the once a month paychecks, but money is money. :)
Austin ISD is having some Saturday training sessions in January - March. They are one Saturday a month which is nice. The training focuses on classroom management. What's really awesome (other than the vast amounts of knowledge I'm sure to gain) is that they pay you if it's your first time (and it is!). I plan to attend all of them because they will definitely help me out in subbing as well as when I have my own classroom.
I wanted to post the link to the shots that Sam took of me last weekend because they are AMAZING! I absolutely love them! Sam has major talent, and working with him was awesome. I always feel weird being on the other side of the camera, but he definitely made me feel at ease. I'm super happy with the way they turned out.
I am so ready to go to Mississippi. I feel like I haven't seen my family in ages...oh wait, I haven't! I also haven't had good Southern food or sweet tea. It will be good just to see everyone and familiar sights. I look forward to Bryan meeting the rest of the family...hmmm...maybe. ;) It will be an exhausting trip I'm sure, but I still can't wait to be back in the good ole 'sip'.
Austin ISD is having some Saturday training sessions in January - March. They are one Saturday a month which is nice. The training focuses on classroom management. What's really awesome (other than the vast amounts of knowledge I'm sure to gain) is that they pay you if it's your first time (and it is!). I plan to attend all of them because they will definitely help me out in subbing as well as when I have my own classroom.
I wanted to post the link to the shots that Sam took of me last weekend because they are AMAZING! I absolutely love them! Sam has major talent, and working with him was awesome. I always feel weird being on the other side of the camera, but he definitely made me feel at ease. I'm super happy with the way they turned out.
I am so ready to go to Mississippi. I feel like I haven't seen my family in ages...oh wait, I haven't! I also haven't had good Southern food or sweet tea. It will be good just to see everyone and familiar sights. I look forward to Bryan meeting the rest of the family...hmmm...maybe. ;) It will be an exhausting trip I'm sure, but I still can't wait to be back in the good ole 'sip'.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
A Week Off
I have been going nonstop this past week. However, I found myself skipping a lot of the regulars...blogging, for instance. I also went to no martial arts classes this week except for Saturday and today (conditioning).
Subbing:
I took Monday off and did some school work while I took care of Bryan who had caught the Shaolin stomach virus. Thankfully I didn't...whew! He had a pretty rough day, but while he napped I got shit loads done! I also took Tuesday off and did even more stuff. I was really proud of myself for getting so many things accomplished. I subbed the rest of the week. I had a great day subbing a 2nd grade class and another great day subbing for elementary art where my classes ranged from K-5th. A lot of the kids drew me Christmas pictures which I have decorated the house with. They really add a nice and unique touch - cheap too!
So what did I do if I wasn't doing martial arts every night? Easy - working my ass off doing chores and preparing for Christmas and all of the guests that we are having this month - oh, and being dead tired from subbing all day. Those children can take it out of you. I went to bed at like 6 one night...just sad. Christmas shopping is almost done though - yay!
The weekend:
Bryan's boss came to stay on Thursday. Friday night we all went over to Jose and Lucy's house for dinner which was very delicious! I got to see their baby finally. She was too cute. I even got to feed her. Saturday I slept in really late which was perfect. Those 4:45 mornings come early during the week. I did make it to class. When I got home we prepared for the Kung Fu school Christmas potluck. We went to the potluck and got our grub on...yummy! After stuffing our faces we came back home to get ready to host the second installment of pancake theater (the Christmas edition).
Pancake theater was fun though it wasn't quite as good as the first. Perhaps Miracle on 34th Street wasn't the best choice. Still we made fun of it, and I enjoyed myself. We had to drink each time some form of the name Santa was mentioned which was lots!
Sunday was nice. I went to conditioning class and then when I got home we went to out to eat and then to see what goods we could get at the Circuit City closing. We really racked up. I got several CD's because they were 50% off. Later Jason came over to exchange gifts. He got me volumes 1 & 2 of the Goo Goo Dolls greatest hits which I LOVED! The rest of the day was all TV - perfect!
Bryan's parents are coming on Tuesday and leaving on Sunday. We leave for Mississippi on Monday. I need lots of energy for the rest of this month! It will be fun though. I do love Christmas!
Pictures
me feeding miss Sofia
the potluck (this is all that was posted by others so far)
pancake theater (don't ask)
Subbing:
I took Monday off and did some school work while I took care of Bryan who had caught the Shaolin stomach virus. Thankfully I didn't...whew! He had a pretty rough day, but while he napped I got shit loads done! I also took Tuesday off and did even more stuff. I was really proud of myself for getting so many things accomplished. I subbed the rest of the week. I had a great day subbing a 2nd grade class and another great day subbing for elementary art where my classes ranged from K-5th. A lot of the kids drew me Christmas pictures which I have decorated the house with. They really add a nice and unique touch - cheap too!
So what did I do if I wasn't doing martial arts every night? Easy - working my ass off doing chores and preparing for Christmas and all of the guests that we are having this month - oh, and being dead tired from subbing all day. Those children can take it out of you. I went to bed at like 6 one night...just sad. Christmas shopping is almost done though - yay!
The weekend:
Bryan's boss came to stay on Thursday. Friday night we all went over to Jose and Lucy's house for dinner which was very delicious! I got to see their baby finally. She was too cute. I even got to feed her. Saturday I slept in really late which was perfect. Those 4:45 mornings come early during the week. I did make it to class. When I got home we prepared for the Kung Fu school Christmas potluck. We went to the potluck and got our grub on...yummy! After stuffing our faces we came back home to get ready to host the second installment of pancake theater (the Christmas edition).
Pancake theater was fun though it wasn't quite as good as the first. Perhaps Miracle on 34th Street wasn't the best choice. Still we made fun of it, and I enjoyed myself. We had to drink each time some form of the name Santa was mentioned which was lots!
Sunday was nice. I went to conditioning class and then when I got home we went to out to eat and then to see what goods we could get at the Circuit City closing. We really racked up. I got several CD's because they were 50% off. Later Jason came over to exchange gifts. He got me volumes 1 & 2 of the Goo Goo Dolls greatest hits which I LOVED! The rest of the day was all TV - perfect!
Bryan's parents are coming on Tuesday and leaving on Sunday. We leave for Mississippi on Monday. I need lots of energy for the rest of this month! It will be fun though. I do love Christmas!
Pictures
me feeding miss Sofia
the potluck (this is all that was posted by others so far)
pancake theater (don't ask)
Monday, December 8, 2008
Hot Pockets!
You'll only get that title if you know the work of Jim Gaffigan - more on that later.
Thursday and Friday I subbed (middle school then high). They were pretty good days I'm happy to report. I didn't go to any classes, this I'm sad to report. It was kind of a weird week as in I just felt kinda offish. I don't exactly know what that means, but there you go. :)
Friday night Bryan took me out to eat pizza. Then we came back home and caught a movie we had DVRed when all the movie channels were previewing for free (yay us!).
Saturday:
Wow, what a day! Saturday was one cool thing after another. First of all we went to the Kung Fu school to participate in 2 seminars. The first was to learn this really cool form, and the second was to learn to put out a candle with your hand. No, not like waving it out. It was so badass when Bryan and I finally achieved it. I wasn't surprised when Bryan did it, but when I did it I was simply blown away (hahaha...all puns intended).
We had to bolt from the candle seminar a little early because I had a photoshoot with Sam. He shot me in my TKD and Kung Fu uniform. My dad really wanted a pic of me in my TKD uniform with all my medals. While that is very cheesy, Sam still helped. We did the one shot and then moved onto some much cooler moves including getting to beat Bryan up. Ah, I love the way Sam's mind works...hehe. After the shoot we walked down to a bbq place for some late lunch with Sam.
Here is a photo that Bryan shot of me: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30348072&l=33668&id=163200356.
After getting our grub on it was time for Jim Gaffigan! We bought these tickets so long ago that I didn't think it would ever come, but finally it was really time to go see his show. I love his last album which Bryan and I quote all the time. I can't tell you how excited I was to attend this. It was almost like seeing my favorite band. Even cooler was that Comedy Central filmed it for their channel. I doubt you'll see Bryan and me, but you never know.
We had 4 tickets (we met Tommy and Elizabeth). They were really sucky seats. No, really...last row in fact. I got dizzy just looking down. Then outta nowhere the producer of the show comes by upgrade our tickets. Apparently, there is some last row lottery. That was crazy cool and much appreciated. We got to move down to the bottom section. It wasn't front row, but at least I could actually see Jim who was hilarious by the way. He was everything I was expecting. He even did his Hot Pocket bit at the end. I seriously laughed the entire time.
Here are some pictures from the show:
the marquee
me n bryan
no hot pockets!
our first seats - ugh
After the show we stopped by Ben's house for a little bit before finally heading back home.
Sunday:
We decided to skip conditioning...so bad of us! Instead we did some more Christmas shopping. We shopped forever and only managed to knock a few more names off the list - lame! I wrapped some gifts and addressed our Christmas cards when we got home. It was definitely all about getting stuff done yesterday.
Monday (today):
I woke up early this morning to find that Bryan had threw up and was feeling very crappy. I was already planning on staying home. I sure picked the right day. I've been doing my best to help him feel better, but I think it's one of those things that just has to work its way through. He already feels better, but I don't think you'll be seeing him in class tonight. Please don't let me get it too. I've been trying to get more stuff done today as well as work on my next school lesson. I got my lesson plan grade back - 93! I was shocked but elated.
Songs I'm Digging at the Moment:
Power to Change - The Black and White Years
Also check out this link because it's a story that the Jackson, MS local news station did on my grandfather for their series on veterans for Veteran's Day. Be sure to watch the video if you don't like to read. ;)
Thursday and Friday I subbed (middle school then high). They were pretty good days I'm happy to report. I didn't go to any classes, this I'm sad to report. It was kind of a weird week as in I just felt kinda offish. I don't exactly know what that means, but there you go. :)
Friday night Bryan took me out to eat pizza. Then we came back home and caught a movie we had DVRed when all the movie channels were previewing for free (yay us!).
Saturday:
Wow, what a day! Saturday was one cool thing after another. First of all we went to the Kung Fu school to participate in 2 seminars. The first was to learn this really cool form, and the second was to learn to put out a candle with your hand. No, not like waving it out. It was so badass when Bryan and I finally achieved it. I wasn't surprised when Bryan did it, but when I did it I was simply blown away (hahaha...all puns intended).
We had to bolt from the candle seminar a little early because I had a photoshoot with Sam. He shot me in my TKD and Kung Fu uniform. My dad really wanted a pic of me in my TKD uniform with all my medals. While that is very cheesy, Sam still helped. We did the one shot and then moved onto some much cooler moves including getting to beat Bryan up. Ah, I love the way Sam's mind works...hehe. After the shoot we walked down to a bbq place for some late lunch with Sam.
Here is a photo that Bryan shot of me: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30348072&l=33668&id=163200356.
After getting our grub on it was time for Jim Gaffigan! We bought these tickets so long ago that I didn't think it would ever come, but finally it was really time to go see his show. I love his last album which Bryan and I quote all the time. I can't tell you how excited I was to attend this. It was almost like seeing my favorite band. Even cooler was that Comedy Central filmed it for their channel. I doubt you'll see Bryan and me, but you never know.
We had 4 tickets (we met Tommy and Elizabeth). They were really sucky seats. No, really...last row in fact. I got dizzy just looking down. Then outta nowhere the producer of the show comes by upgrade our tickets. Apparently, there is some last row lottery. That was crazy cool and much appreciated. We got to move down to the bottom section. It wasn't front row, but at least I could actually see Jim who was hilarious by the way. He was everything I was expecting. He even did his Hot Pocket bit at the end. I seriously laughed the entire time.
Here are some pictures from the show:
the marquee
me n bryan
no hot pockets!
our first seats - ugh
After the show we stopped by Ben's house for a little bit before finally heading back home.
Sunday:
We decided to skip conditioning...so bad of us! Instead we did some more Christmas shopping. We shopped forever and only managed to knock a few more names off the list - lame! I wrapped some gifts and addressed our Christmas cards when we got home. It was definitely all about getting stuff done yesterday.
Monday (today):
I woke up early this morning to find that Bryan had threw up and was feeling very crappy. I was already planning on staying home. I sure picked the right day. I've been doing my best to help him feel better, but I think it's one of those things that just has to work its way through. He already feels better, but I don't think you'll be seeing him in class tonight. Please don't let me get it too. I've been trying to get more stuff done today as well as work on my next school lesson. I got my lesson plan grade back - 93! I was shocked but elated.
Songs I'm Digging at the Moment:
Power to Change - The Black and White Years
Also check out this link because it's a story that the Jackson, MS local news station did on my grandfather for their series on veterans for Veteran's Day. Be sure to watch the video if you don't like to read. ;)
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Subbing Suuuucks! Sometimes...
Is it only Wednesday? Ugh....
Tuesday:
I subbed middle school which in my opinion is the worst of the schools. Those kids think they know it all. It wasn't a bad day, more like boring. I was subbing for an inclusion teacher. I was more in the way than anything.
Last night I went to TKD. We have gotten a lot of new students here recently which is nice for a little change up. We mostly did target drills and sparring. We only touched on our forms for a few minutes. The instructor said we will focus on forms heavy after Christmas.
Wednesday (today):
I subbed middle school again. This is the WORST day of subbing I have ever experienced. I had multiple students leave the classroom against my protests. I did good just to keep them in the classroom and not running around doing anything they could think of. This school was just horrible. So bad, in fact, that I received a hug from the office staff upon leaving. They wanted to make sure that the students wouldn't keep me from coming back to sub again. The school was super easy to get to so that is a plus. However, I just checked the available jobs, and I can sub there again on Friday. I just can't bring myself to accept the position. I don't want to go back. Being in schools like this makes me very, very scared for our nation's future.
I had a stomach ache on the way home. I don't think it was induced by the children. :) Because of it I decided to take a night off. I've think I have had enough punishment for one day. I hate that I missed sparring though.
Tomorrow I'm subbing for a woman I subbed for about a week ago. She called me directly to come back and sub. I have no idea why she called me directly, but I definitely appreciate a job being thrown to me and not having to fight for it in the subbing system. It was my first direct request. It felt good. The downside? It's middle school! :) I think it's safe to say that while I might be getting my certification to include middle school there is no way in hell I'll teach it! Why do I feel like I'll eat those words?
Upcoming Events:
Christmas pictures:
our Christmas card picture
our attempt to have the cats on our Christmas card
Tuesday:
I subbed middle school which in my opinion is the worst of the schools. Those kids think they know it all. It wasn't a bad day, more like boring. I was subbing for an inclusion teacher. I was more in the way than anything.
Last night I went to TKD. We have gotten a lot of new students here recently which is nice for a little change up. We mostly did target drills and sparring. We only touched on our forms for a few minutes. The instructor said we will focus on forms heavy after Christmas.
Wednesday (today):
I subbed middle school again. This is the WORST day of subbing I have ever experienced. I had multiple students leave the classroom against my protests. I did good just to keep them in the classroom and not running around doing anything they could think of. This school was just horrible. So bad, in fact, that I received a hug from the office staff upon leaving. They wanted to make sure that the students wouldn't keep me from coming back to sub again. The school was super easy to get to so that is a plus. However, I just checked the available jobs, and I can sub there again on Friday. I just can't bring myself to accept the position. I don't want to go back. Being in schools like this makes me very, very scared for our nation's future.
I had a stomach ache on the way home. I don't think it was induced by the children. :) Because of it I decided to take a night off. I've think I have had enough punishment for one day. I hate that I missed sparring though.
Tomorrow I'm subbing for a woman I subbed for about a week ago. She called me directly to come back and sub. I have no idea why she called me directly, but I definitely appreciate a job being thrown to me and not having to fight for it in the subbing system. It was my first direct request. It felt good. The downside? It's middle school! :) I think it's safe to say that while I might be getting my certification to include middle school there is no way in hell I'll teach it! Why do I feel like I'll eat those words?
Upcoming Events:
- December 4 - happy hour with some of Bryan's friends
- December 6 - Seminars at the Kung Fu school and then Jim Gaffigan show that night!
- December 9 - our 10 month anniversary
- December 13 - potluck dinner at the Kung Fu school and then pancake theater (Christmas edition) at our house (be there or be square)
- December 16 - 21 - Bryan's parents will be here for Christmas
- December 22 - 27 - we'll be in Mississippi for the Christmas (for real)
- December 24 - Christmas Eve at Granny's
- December 25 - Christmas Day at my Grandparent's house
- there's talk of a party on the 6th as well but because of the show I don't know if we'll make it
Christmas pictures:
our Christmas card picture
our attempt to have the cats on our Christmas card
Monday, December 1, 2008
Starting To Feel Like Christmas
I love long weekends! I enjoyed the extra off time with Bryan. Thank goodness it finally got chilly outside. Now it's starting to feel like Christmas.
Thursday (Thanksgiving):
We met Nik at his grandmother's house for Thanksgiving dinner. We went there for Easter and had awesome food and a great time. I was really looking forward to eating there again. And just as I had anticipated, we had a fantastic time. There was great conversation and yummy food. We made a cranberry coffee cake that was moist and delicious even if the top was a little burnt. :) After we left there we went home and hung and watched TV/movies. It was a perfect day.
I am thankful for more this year than ever before and most of that is thanks to meeting Bryan. :) This has shaped up to be a great year even with the few bumps.
Friday:
Bryan was off work which just made the weekend perfect and super long. :) School was closed so no subbing. Bryan has caught what I had last week. He didn't feel up to conditioning class so we just slept in. We cleaned the house for hours because we had let it go soooo long. We did what I like to call a deep cleaning. I cleaned everything! It's super clean now though, and looking oh so nice! With cats the house never seems to stay clean for long. :) That night we spent more time taking in TV and movies.
Saturday:
Shaolin-Do day as usual. We ate out for lunch and did a little shopping (the best kind - no buying), and then headed back for my class which was great. I got some great review and even learned a few new things.
Saturday evening we put up the Christmas tree which looks so beautiful. I love the ambiance that a Christmas tree creates. The cats have really taking to it too. Mallos is constantly under there sleeping. I have some wrapped presents, but I can't seem to bring myself to put them under the tree for fear of their safety. We were going to have a date night, but we ended up feeling more like staying home. Instead we - you guessed it - watched TV and movies. Hey, I like these 2 activities!
Sunday:
I woke up just in time to get ready and leave for conditioning class. Class was great. We did kicking and lots of it! I'm a kicker at heart so this was like the funnest hour ever! After that we went for lunch with Sean. Then we stopped at Target on the way home where we got even more Christmas shopping done. The list is steadily getting smaller, but I won't be happy until all Christmas shopping is complete and wrapped. I also put up the stockings. I would love to go all out with Christmas decorations, but I'm feeling too strapped for cash working little and going to school. I hope next year is a lot less stressful in the finance sense. We finished the night up with a movie.
Monday (today):
I took off today in order to complete some school stuff. I finally turned in my first lesson plan. I can only imagine the criticism I will get back when this thing is graded. It was super hard, but I'm very happy with parts of it. I still feel like it was missing something. Oh well, for a first try, it was pretty good. I'm glad to have finally turned it in as I put it off for WAY too long. Now I can look forward to making more of them - yay.
We took our Christmas card photo today. I've never made photo cards before, but I have always wanted to. I think they turned out pretty good. I really wanted the 3 cats in the picture, but true to their nature they didn't cooperate. That's life with cats. :) We got them ordered and will pick them up tomorrow. Now for lots of addressing. I'll probably be asking for some of your addresses. Make sure to put our picture up on the fridge where you can see us everyday...hehe.
I'm looking forward to class tonight. It's a new week so we should start something new in Kung Fu and Tai Chi - sweet! I'm subbing middle school tomorrow so pray for me.
Christmas pictures:
Cats drawn to the tree
Our stockings (made by me)
The cats' stockings
Our tree
Thursday (Thanksgiving):
We met Nik at his grandmother's house for Thanksgiving dinner. We went there for Easter and had awesome food and a great time. I was really looking forward to eating there again. And just as I had anticipated, we had a fantastic time. There was great conversation and yummy food. We made a cranberry coffee cake that was moist and delicious even if the top was a little burnt. :) After we left there we went home and hung and watched TV/movies. It was a perfect day.
I am thankful for more this year than ever before and most of that is thanks to meeting Bryan. :) This has shaped up to be a great year even with the few bumps.
Friday:
Bryan was off work which just made the weekend perfect and super long. :) School was closed so no subbing. Bryan has caught what I had last week. He didn't feel up to conditioning class so we just slept in. We cleaned the house for hours because we had let it go soooo long. We did what I like to call a deep cleaning. I cleaned everything! It's super clean now though, and looking oh so nice! With cats the house never seems to stay clean for long. :) That night we spent more time taking in TV and movies.
Saturday:
Shaolin-Do day as usual. We ate out for lunch and did a little shopping (the best kind - no buying), and then headed back for my class which was great. I got some great review and even learned a few new things.
Saturday evening we put up the Christmas tree which looks so beautiful. I love the ambiance that a Christmas tree creates. The cats have really taking to it too. Mallos is constantly under there sleeping. I have some wrapped presents, but I can't seem to bring myself to put them under the tree for fear of their safety. We were going to have a date night, but we ended up feeling more like staying home. Instead we - you guessed it - watched TV and movies. Hey, I like these 2 activities!
Sunday:
I woke up just in time to get ready and leave for conditioning class. Class was great. We did kicking and lots of it! I'm a kicker at heart so this was like the funnest hour ever! After that we went for lunch with Sean. Then we stopped at Target on the way home where we got even more Christmas shopping done. The list is steadily getting smaller, but I won't be happy until all Christmas shopping is complete and wrapped. I also put up the stockings. I would love to go all out with Christmas decorations, but I'm feeling too strapped for cash working little and going to school. I hope next year is a lot less stressful in the finance sense. We finished the night up with a movie.
Monday (today):
I took off today in order to complete some school stuff. I finally turned in my first lesson plan. I can only imagine the criticism I will get back when this thing is graded. It was super hard, but I'm very happy with parts of it. I still feel like it was missing something. Oh well, for a first try, it was pretty good. I'm glad to have finally turned it in as I put it off for WAY too long. Now I can look forward to making more of them - yay.
We took our Christmas card photo today. I've never made photo cards before, but I have always wanted to. I think they turned out pretty good. I really wanted the 3 cats in the picture, but true to their nature they didn't cooperate. That's life with cats. :) We got them ordered and will pick them up tomorrow. Now for lots of addressing. I'll probably be asking for some of your addresses. Make sure to put our picture up on the fridge where you can see us everyday...hehe.
I'm looking forward to class tonight. It's a new week so we should start something new in Kung Fu and Tai Chi - sweet! I'm subbing middle school tomorrow so pray for me.
Christmas pictures:
Cats drawn to the tree
Our stockings (made by me)
The cats' stockings
Our tree
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
*Cough*Cough*Cough*
I am almost better thank goodness! I am so ready to stop coughing already. Bryan might be more ready than me. :)
Friday:
I didn't sub. I guess it's a good thing considering my condition - cough cough. I decided to do some Christmas shopping. I went to some places on my own and then called Jason. We met up and ate lunch and then hit up the outlet mall. It was getting late so I headed home so that Bryan and I could get ready for my TKD belt ceremony. The ceremony was just like all the previous ones. They aren't that exciting, but I still get excited knowing that I'm going to get to wear that new belt. Senior blue...it feels nice. The rest of the night was lazy night at the house; it was nice.
Here are the pictures that Bryan took of the ceremony:
new belt
the whole gang
new belt, old belt
i'm a senior blue
Saturday:
Saturday was just another Shaolin-Do day - just like I like 'em. :) Bryan did his 2 classes and then we ate. When we got back from eating I went to my class. I am still digging all of this new material. It's so much fun! The only down side of class was after we starting working out my throat felt like it was literally on fire - not fun! Finally, it was time to go back home. Good thing - those long Saturday mornings tire me out! The rest of the day was was get stuff at done at home. Bryan mounted the speakers to the wall so we could push the couch back for extra room. We also hung the belt racks (finally). They look awesome!
Sunday:
Sunday morning was all about being at home. I wanted to go to conditioning class, but after my throat on fire feeling from Saturday, I thought maybe a day off was better. At 1 PM Jason met us here, and we all headed to the mall to do some Christmas shopping. All we bought was some ribbon and gift tags for wrapping. However, we bought no presents. Oh well, it was fun hanging out and looking at all of the things that I can't buy. :) After the mall we all went to eat some Mexican food. It was good to stay in for the night and prepare for the short work week.
Here is a stupid video that Bryan started taking without my knowledge - thankfully he didn't catch me dancing to the American Eagle store music which is what he was aiming for:
Monday:
I didn't sub today. I didn't do much of anything today. Not sleeping well from coughing does not make for a productive day. I actually had to get up around midnight and move to the guest bed so that Bryan might actually get some sleep. My coughing is keeping us both up. The poor man is exhausted, and he isn't even the one sick! I did run to ToysRUs for a couple of presents.
Monday night was a Kung Fu class. I got the end of the form I started learning last week. It was a great class. My lungs didn't catch on fire which is always a plus. I also went to Tai Chi where I got to review the portion of the form that I have been learning for quite some time now. I got it on my own though so perhaps I'm finally ready for the next section...maybe. :)
Tuesday:
I didn't do much at all today. I slept in thanks to coughing all night. I think the cough is FINALLY starting to wear off - a little! I stopped taking medication for it. I did some more Christmas shopping, but this time from my seat at the computer. Ah, online shopping - it is truly wonderful. It appeals to my lazy side. Plus, there are no lines or crowds. :)
Tuesday night was a TKD night. We did some conditioning at the beginning of class which was different but cool. Then we practiced our forms and then finally sparred. My instructor put his gear on for the first time. I was crapping my pants! And for good reason I found out when I had to spar him. OMG! That guy was hitting hard! He was all over the place. I think I got one punch in. I think he tried to ax kick me. I'm not sure; it was all a big blur....too many punches to the head. While I was waiting for Bryan to get home from Kung Fu I got in some Gamecube (we got some new games the other day).
Wednesday (today):
So far nothing to really report. Bryan had to go sleep in the guest bed last night thanks to...you guessed it - my coughing. Poor thing. I plan to spend the afternoon knocking out some school stuff that's way behind. Sigh.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. I hope everyone has a wonderful day. We are going to have dinner with Nik, his grandmother, and the rest of this family. Thanks for the invite, Nik! We went there for Easter and had the best time. I'm really looking forward to this.
Friday:
I didn't sub. I guess it's a good thing considering my condition - cough cough. I decided to do some Christmas shopping. I went to some places on my own and then called Jason. We met up and ate lunch and then hit up the outlet mall. It was getting late so I headed home so that Bryan and I could get ready for my TKD belt ceremony. The ceremony was just like all the previous ones. They aren't that exciting, but I still get excited knowing that I'm going to get to wear that new belt. Senior blue...it feels nice. The rest of the night was lazy night at the house; it was nice.
Here are the pictures that Bryan took of the ceremony:
new belt
the whole gang
new belt, old belt
i'm a senior blue
Saturday:
Saturday was just another Shaolin-Do day - just like I like 'em. :) Bryan did his 2 classes and then we ate. When we got back from eating I went to my class. I am still digging all of this new material. It's so much fun! The only down side of class was after we starting working out my throat felt like it was literally on fire - not fun! Finally, it was time to go back home. Good thing - those long Saturday mornings tire me out! The rest of the day was was get stuff at done at home. Bryan mounted the speakers to the wall so we could push the couch back for extra room. We also hung the belt racks (finally). They look awesome!
Sunday:
Sunday morning was all about being at home. I wanted to go to conditioning class, but after my throat on fire feeling from Saturday, I thought maybe a day off was better. At 1 PM Jason met us here, and we all headed to the mall to do some Christmas shopping. All we bought was some ribbon and gift tags for wrapping. However, we bought no presents. Oh well, it was fun hanging out and looking at all of the things that I can't buy. :) After the mall we all went to eat some Mexican food. It was good to stay in for the night and prepare for the short work week.
Here is a stupid video that Bryan started taking without my knowledge - thankfully he didn't catch me dancing to the American Eagle store music which is what he was aiming for:
Monday:
I didn't sub today. I didn't do much of anything today. Not sleeping well from coughing does not make for a productive day. I actually had to get up around midnight and move to the guest bed so that Bryan might actually get some sleep. My coughing is keeping us both up. The poor man is exhausted, and he isn't even the one sick! I did run to ToysRUs for a couple of presents.
Monday night was a Kung Fu class. I got the end of the form I started learning last week. It was a great class. My lungs didn't catch on fire which is always a plus. I also went to Tai Chi where I got to review the portion of the form that I have been learning for quite some time now. I got it on my own though so perhaps I'm finally ready for the next section...maybe. :)
Tuesday:
I didn't do much at all today. I slept in thanks to coughing all night. I think the cough is FINALLY starting to wear off - a little! I stopped taking medication for it. I did some more Christmas shopping, but this time from my seat at the computer. Ah, online shopping - it is truly wonderful. It appeals to my lazy side. Plus, there are no lines or crowds. :)
Tuesday night was a TKD night. We did some conditioning at the beginning of class which was different but cool. Then we practiced our forms and then finally sparred. My instructor put his gear on for the first time. I was crapping my pants! And for good reason I found out when I had to spar him. OMG! That guy was hitting hard! He was all over the place. I think I got one punch in. I think he tried to ax kick me. I'm not sure; it was all a big blur....too many punches to the head. While I was waiting for Bryan to get home from Kung Fu I got in some Gamecube (we got some new games the other day).
Wednesday (today):
So far nothing to really report. Bryan had to go sleep in the guest bed last night thanks to...you guessed it - my coughing. Poor thing. I plan to spend the afternoon knocking out some school stuff that's way behind. Sigh.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. I hope everyone has a wonderful day. We are going to have dinner with Nik, his grandmother, and the rest of this family. Thanks for the invite, Nik! We went there for Easter and had the best time. I'm really looking forward to this.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Sick Sucks!
Being sick sucks! I have slept great every night but tonight. However, Bryan on the other hand hasn't slept good in several days thanks to my constant tossing/turning, coughing, nose blowing, and whimpering. Yes, I whimper in my sleep when I don't feel good. Poor Bryan! Tonight was really bad. It's 3:23 AM as I am writing this if that gives you a clue how this night has gone. I finally woke up about 30 minutes ago and gave up on sleeping. I wasn't really sleeping, more like in between sleep and awake. Ever get stuck in that in between area? It sucks because you're not awake and not really resting. Plus, when I get stuck in this spot I grind my teeth pretty badly so I usually wake up with sore teeth. I feel bad that Bryan has to suffer along with me; it's not fair. I finally got out of bed because I could see sleeping tonight wasn't going to happen, and one of us should get some sleep. As I'm sure you guessed I'm not working tomorrow.
We are supposed to go to conditioning class in the morning. I'll see if I feel like it when the time approaches. We are also supposed to go get a Christmas tree tomorrow! Yay! It will be a fake one, but it will be a nice fake one (pre-lit, I hope). I can feel Christmas getting closer, and I am loving it! I have already begun to buy presents and wrap them. I have bought all the cats stockings (lame, I know). I think I'm going to make mine and Bryan's stockings. I'll let you know how that turns out. I have ideas, but haven't found the materials yet.
I can smell Christmas on the air at times. I'm getting excited. Bryan's parents will be coming down right before Christmas. We are planning a nice dinner to celebrate. It should be a lot of fun. I am already picking out the recipes that I want to try. On actual Christmas Eve and Day we will be in Mississippi with my family which I am looking forward to so badly. I haven't seen any of my family in months (since Bryan and I went there). It seems like it's been forever. I can't wait for Bryan to meet the ones he didn't get a chance to the first time. I look forward to Granny's food, all the traditions, and of course, presents!
I love buying presents. I really like trying my best to buy something that I know the recipient will really enjoy or use. I like to show people just how much I know about them. I really try my best to put an effort into picking out the right gift.
In other news:
My bo staff arrived yesterday in all of its awesome glory. It is perfect, and I love it! I can't wait to start using it. However, I think I only get to learn bo staff swings for this belt. I have been twirling it all over the house much to Bryan's dismay. I don't understand why he's convinced I'll break something. ;) I was a flag girl for 4 years so I do know how to twirl a stick, but I did often drop it so he's probably right. I should definitely leave the bo staff twirling outside, or I might just end up buying us a new TV for Christmas! :D
We are supposed to go to conditioning class in the morning. I'll see if I feel like it when the time approaches. We are also supposed to go get a Christmas tree tomorrow! Yay! It will be a fake one, but it will be a nice fake one (pre-lit, I hope). I can feel Christmas getting closer, and I am loving it! I have already begun to buy presents and wrap them. I have bought all the cats stockings (lame, I know). I think I'm going to make mine and Bryan's stockings. I'll let you know how that turns out. I have ideas, but haven't found the materials yet.
I can smell Christmas on the air at times. I'm getting excited. Bryan's parents will be coming down right before Christmas. We are planning a nice dinner to celebrate. It should be a lot of fun. I am already picking out the recipes that I want to try. On actual Christmas Eve and Day we will be in Mississippi with my family which I am looking forward to so badly. I haven't seen any of my family in months (since Bryan and I went there). It seems like it's been forever. I can't wait for Bryan to meet the ones he didn't get a chance to the first time. I look forward to Granny's food, all the traditions, and of course, presents!
I love buying presents. I really like trying my best to buy something that I know the recipient will really enjoy or use. I like to show people just how much I know about them. I really try my best to put an effort into picking out the right gift.
In other news:
My bo staff arrived yesterday in all of its awesome glory. It is perfect, and I love it! I can't wait to start using it. However, I think I only get to learn bo staff swings for this belt. I have been twirling it all over the house much to Bryan's dismay. I don't understand why he's convinced I'll break something. ;) I was a flag girl for 4 years so I do know how to twirl a stick, but I did often drop it so he's probably right. I should definitely leave the bo staff twirling outside, or I might just end up buying us a new TV for Christmas! :D
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
"I Love You Too, Cracker" - Bryan
Saturday:
Bryan went to Kung Fu early in the morning, but I slept in so I'd be prepared for my TKD test. The testing started at 3:30 PM. I was pretty nervous because I didn't really feel all that prepared thanks to my new love of Kung Fu. However, my instructor was the main judge so that helped. I think I did pretty good considering the lack of practice.
Here are the pictures Bryan took of my testing:
lined up to warm up
warming up with blocks
hook blocks
sparring
blue vs. blue
round 2
bring it!
blue vs. green
sparring down a level
Here is the video Bryan took of my form:
After my testing was complete we went over to the Kung Fu school to catch the last few minutes of the open house and potluck. :) After hanging out there for awhile, we went over to Ben's where a lot of us met up to watch the UFC fight which was crazy and awesome! It was a lot of fun. I enjoy watching anything in our little group. The commentary is the best! Finally, it was time for home and bed.
Sunday:
We attended the sparring tournament being held at the school. Unfortunately, I was the only girl that showed up at least for white - brown. Since I couldn't spar in my class level, I had to spar up and with all boys which didn't bother me. Once I knew this though, I knew I couldn't win. I actually came in last, but it doesn't bother me because no one really beat me by too much. I think I held my own, and I'm proud of myself for that. The sparring wore me out, and I was very ready to go home.
We then went to do some grocery shopping and then out to eat. We were supposed to clean the house (it needs it sooo badly), but we were very lazy and didn't do much of anything.
Monday:
I subbed middle school and it sucked. I went to Kung Fu that night and started learning my yellow belt material which is awesome! I was feeling wiped out and took a nap on the couch at the school. Somehow I managed to wake myself up and drag my ass to Tai Chi which I'm super glad I did because I really needed the review.
Tuesday:
I woke up feeling a little sick which got worse that night. I subbed at a high school. It was very boring day - weird setup. I was glad to roll up outta that place when the final bell sounded. That night I went to the Kung Fu school and took a class I had never gone to before. It was pretty good, and I finally started learning my first long form which so far I love! I took another nap on the couch at the school. People are going to start wondering if I sleep at home.
Wednesday:
I didn't take any jobs and instead decided to stay home and rest in order to try and feel better. I was pretty much in bed for a majority of the day. I couldn't believe how much I slept. Against Bryan's judgement, I went to Kung Fu. First I sparred for almost an hour and, then I attended my regular class which I left about half way through. After that Bryan helped me go over all of my material which was a great review and much needed. It felt good to get back in bed even if I had been there all day.
Thursday (today):
I cancelled my sub job for today because I still feel like crap. I don't wanna sleep all day, but my brain is kinda foggy so I'm not good for much else.
In other news:
My Kung Fu Toe Hole is getting worse? I'm not sure if it is or not, but it looks worse. I've decided to post pictures after all. :) I expect to hear lots of comments for doing this.
.jpg)
Recent pictures of the cats:
O.C. on my schoolwork:
Blogs you should read:
My food blog and Bryan's food blog. RSS them!
Bryan went to Kung Fu early in the morning, but I slept in so I'd be prepared for my TKD test. The testing started at 3:30 PM. I was pretty nervous because I didn't really feel all that prepared thanks to my new love of Kung Fu. However, my instructor was the main judge so that helped. I think I did pretty good considering the lack of practice.
Here are the pictures Bryan took of my testing:
lined up to warm up
warming up with blocks
hook blocks
sparring
blue vs. blue
round 2
bring it!
blue vs. green
sparring down a level
Here is the video Bryan took of my form:
After my testing was complete we went over to the Kung Fu school to catch the last few minutes of the open house and potluck. :) After hanging out there for awhile, we went over to Ben's where a lot of us met up to watch the UFC fight which was crazy and awesome! It was a lot of fun. I enjoy watching anything in our little group. The commentary is the best! Finally, it was time for home and bed.
Sunday:
We attended the sparring tournament being held at the school. Unfortunately, I was the only girl that showed up at least for white - brown. Since I couldn't spar in my class level, I had to spar up and with all boys which didn't bother me. Once I knew this though, I knew I couldn't win. I actually came in last, but it doesn't bother me because no one really beat me by too much. I think I held my own, and I'm proud of myself for that. The sparring wore me out, and I was very ready to go home.
We then went to do some grocery shopping and then out to eat. We were supposed to clean the house (it needs it sooo badly), but we were very lazy and didn't do much of anything.
Monday:
I subbed middle school and it sucked. I went to Kung Fu that night and started learning my yellow belt material which is awesome! I was feeling wiped out and took a nap on the couch at the school. Somehow I managed to wake myself up and drag my ass to Tai Chi which I'm super glad I did because I really needed the review.
Tuesday:
I woke up feeling a little sick which got worse that night. I subbed at a high school. It was very boring day - weird setup. I was glad to roll up outta that place when the final bell sounded. That night I went to the Kung Fu school and took a class I had never gone to before. It was pretty good, and I finally started learning my first long form which so far I love! I took another nap on the couch at the school. People are going to start wondering if I sleep at home.
Wednesday:
I didn't take any jobs and instead decided to stay home and rest in order to try and feel better. I was pretty much in bed for a majority of the day. I couldn't believe how much I slept. Against Bryan's judgement, I went to Kung Fu. First I sparred for almost an hour and, then I attended my regular class which I left about half way through. After that Bryan helped me go over all of my material which was a great review and much needed. It felt good to get back in bed even if I had been there all day.
Thursday (today):
I cancelled my sub job for today because I still feel like crap. I don't wanna sleep all day, but my brain is kinda foggy so I'm not good for much else.
In other news:
My Kung Fu Toe Hole is getting worse? I'm not sure if it is or not, but it looks worse. I've decided to post pictures after all. :) I expect to hear lots of comments for doing this.
.jpg)
Recent pictures of the cats:
O.C. on my schoolwork:
Blogs you should read:
My food blog and Bryan's food blog. RSS them!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Kung Fu Toe Hole (Ow!)
What a week...
Wednesday:
We had to get up early so we could be at the DPS by 8 AM so that I could get my driving exam scheduled for the day. The slot that they had open for me? 10:45 AM. That's right we drove all the way there to schedule it (this is the ONLY way it can be done) and then we had to drive home then back at for the exam. Bryan of course had to drive me there because I can't drive myself...sigh. We came back at the appointed time, and I did the exam. I didn't do so hot (according to the instructor) at parallel parking though I made it between the poles so I was happy. However, despite the less than perfect parking and forgetting to look backwards when backing up (yeah) they still gave me my driver's license. The real one will be here in 2-3 weeks. It will no doubt have some very horrible picture of me printed on it so that I may see it for years and share it with all the strangers that I meet in life...yay!
The rest of the day was spent hanging around the house doing a little coursework and this and that.
That night it was Kung Fu time! We started with some sparring. I sparred with Ryon for a really long time, but he seriously gave me some awesome pointers and help that I will definitely be using from now moving forward. Then I did my class, and finally, I tested! And I passed. I'm now a yellow belt! I'm super happy because now they will start giving me weapons and forms!!! Yay!!!
Thursday:
I spent the day subbing at a high school (my first time). OMG! I don't think I could ever drag myself back to this high school if any high school. I have never witnessed such a disregard for authority in my entire life. It was me and another sub in the same room so at least I didn't have to face those brats all by my lonesome. We only had 3 classes - 9th and 10 graders, but they were so rude and BAD! One girl called me a bitch after I told her to be quiet for the second time. One boy was drumming on his desk loudly during a test, and when I told him to stop he simply looked at me stone faced and continued. It was a constant battle of wills which I'm proud to say I won every battle, but I was really thinking "Oh my God, what do I do if they don't stop?!?!?" I was never so glad to hear a final bell.
That night I was back to TKD - last class before testing on Saturday. It was a great class, lots of review. I was able to do my form several time and get in some sparring. I'm glad that I'm finally getting better at sparring and becoming better at holding my own in these classes. I got my uniform top back complete with patches and my name. It looks really awesome even if it did cost me a little much (it was a requirement). I'm still nervous about testing. I've had all my attention focused on Kung Fu that I'm not really prepared for this test.
Friday (today):
I took today off from subbing to finish a lot of schoolwork that has been building up. However, it's after 10 AM, and I haven't even started. The house is also very dirty and needs cleaning - BAD! I'm supposed to meet an old friend for a late lunch or early dinner, but we'll see.
In other news:
I have Kung Fu toe hole. That's were you get crater size holes in your feet from the mats. It is not a pleasant sight so I won't post pictures on here, but if your curious enough just tell me, and I'll be glad to show you. It's pretty gross yet I can't stop starring. :) It keeps getting worse, but it doesn't really hurt. I was wrapping it, but I gave up on that. I think it needs to just do it's thing.
Also in regards to Kung Fu - there is an open house tomorrow at the school. We won't be there because I have to test, but I urge you to go and check it out. And there is also a sparring tournament at the school on Sunday which I also urge you to come and check out. All the details are on the site.
And lastly, I opened up my own Cafe Press store, but please keep in mind that I'm still working on it so check on it often to see what's been added or changed. Also, please let me know if you have any suggestions because they are most definitely welcomed. I want to add other things to this shop as well as maybe open another with some non liberty things. :) Hope you check it out...
Wednesday:
We had to get up early so we could be at the DPS by 8 AM so that I could get my driving exam scheduled for the day. The slot that they had open for me? 10:45 AM. That's right we drove all the way there to schedule it (this is the ONLY way it can be done) and then we had to drive home then back at for the exam. Bryan of course had to drive me there because I can't drive myself...sigh. We came back at the appointed time, and I did the exam. I didn't do so hot (according to the instructor) at parallel parking though I made it between the poles so I was happy. However, despite the less than perfect parking and forgetting to look backwards when backing up (yeah) they still gave me my driver's license. The real one will be here in 2-3 weeks. It will no doubt have some very horrible picture of me printed on it so that I may see it for years and share it with all the strangers that I meet in life...yay!
The rest of the day was spent hanging around the house doing a little coursework and this and that.
That night it was Kung Fu time! We started with some sparring. I sparred with Ryon for a really long time, but he seriously gave me some awesome pointers and help that I will definitely be using from now moving forward. Then I did my class, and finally, I tested! And I passed. I'm now a yellow belt! I'm super happy because now they will start giving me weapons and forms!!! Yay!!!
Thursday:
I spent the day subbing at a high school (my first time). OMG! I don't think I could ever drag myself back to this high school if any high school. I have never witnessed such a disregard for authority in my entire life. It was me and another sub in the same room so at least I didn't have to face those brats all by my lonesome. We only had 3 classes - 9th and 10 graders, but they were so rude and BAD! One girl called me a bitch after I told her to be quiet for the second time. One boy was drumming on his desk loudly during a test, and when I told him to stop he simply looked at me stone faced and continued. It was a constant battle of wills which I'm proud to say I won every battle, but I was really thinking "Oh my God, what do I do if they don't stop?!?!?" I was never so glad to hear a final bell.
That night I was back to TKD - last class before testing on Saturday. It was a great class, lots of review. I was able to do my form several time and get in some sparring. I'm glad that I'm finally getting better at sparring and becoming better at holding my own in these classes. I got my uniform top back complete with patches and my name. It looks really awesome even if it did cost me a little much (it was a requirement). I'm still nervous about testing. I've had all my attention focused on Kung Fu that I'm not really prepared for this test.
Friday (today):
I took today off from subbing to finish a lot of schoolwork that has been building up. However, it's after 10 AM, and I haven't even started. The house is also very dirty and needs cleaning - BAD! I'm supposed to meet an old friend for a late lunch or early dinner, but we'll see.
In other news:
I have Kung Fu toe hole. That's were you get crater size holes in your feet from the mats. It is not a pleasant sight so I won't post pictures on here, but if your curious enough just tell me, and I'll be glad to show you. It's pretty gross yet I can't stop starring. :) It keeps getting worse, but it doesn't really hurt. I was wrapping it, but I gave up on that. I think it needs to just do it's thing.
Also in regards to Kung Fu - there is an open house tomorrow at the school. We won't be there because I have to test, but I urge you to go and check it out. And there is also a sparring tournament at the school on Sunday which I also urge you to come and check out. All the details are on the site.
And lastly, I opened up my own Cafe Press store, but please keep in mind that I'm still working on it so check on it often to see what's been added or changed. Also, please let me know if you have any suggestions because they are most definitely welcomed. I want to add other things to this shop as well as maybe open another with some non liberty things. :) Hope you check it out...
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Testing and Teaching
Why isn't it cold outside yet? I have so many sweaters, but I can't wear them in 70/80 degree weather! C'mon!
Friday:
What a day. This is my 2nd installment of why I loathe the TX DPS. I received my birth certificate so I headed back to the DPS to try and get my driver's license. Yeah, it went dismally. I think they love to make this process as excruciatingly painful as possible. Apparently if you let your license expire that means your driving skills also expire or become impaired. If you allow your license to expire even in the same week then you have to take a written and driving exam. Yes, you are reading this correctly. I took my written exam but was told I'd have to come the day I wanted to take the driving exam in order to make an appointment. There were no open spots for that afternoon. That's right, you have to drive down there and make an appointment even though you have no idea what slot you'll receive. You can't call in or do it online. Can I get a show of hands for how backasswards this is?
The rest of the day I just hung out at the house doing this and that. Bryan and I attended a short stick seminar taught by a 7th degree from Alabama. It was a pretty cool event. It was geared toward using any stick in a street type fighting...basically using a weapon you could commonly find in easy and logical ways.
After the stick seminar we met up with a few other's at Ben's house, and then we all went to see Zach and Miri Make a Porno. The movie was sooo hilarious! Then it was bedtime. :)
Saturday:
It was just another Shaolin-Do Saturday. We were there early for Bryan's class then lunch then back for my class.
That night we celebrated Jason's birthday by going out to eat at a Hibachi restaurant. It was a lot of fun. The food was good and the chef was great entertainment.
Here are the pictures from the dinner:
Dinner
Here are the videos from the dinner:
Sunday:
Sunday we got some much needed things done around the house and a few errands taken care of. We went to Game Over and traded in some things and got some new games for the Gamecube. We then worked on a Christmas project of mine and then finally played the games we purchased...good day indeed.
It was our 9 month anniversary! :)
Monday & Tuesday:
I spent both days at a school in Leander observing more classrooms. I'll just say again that observing is quite boring....quite. The school was nice and everyone is friendly, but I'd rather be standing at the front of the room than sitting in the back. I would like to teach here in Leander; it's close and the schools are very nice.
Monday night I went to Kung Fu. My material has really come along though my sparring was terrible. I was actually told I would be testing on Wednesday so we'll see. Tuesday night I went to TKD where my sparring was still terrible and my form has really suffered thanks to my new found love of Kung Fu. I have also come to really not like the TKD school that much. I'll be glad when my time there is done I think. I think that most of it has to do with the change of owners but some is credited to seeing it with new eyes after seeing what a real school can be like.
Upcoming Events:
a kiss
face off
stretch
look this way
close up
Friday:
What a day. This is my 2nd installment of why I loathe the TX DPS. I received my birth certificate so I headed back to the DPS to try and get my driver's license. Yeah, it went dismally. I think they love to make this process as excruciatingly painful as possible. Apparently if you let your license expire that means your driving skills also expire or become impaired. If you allow your license to expire even in the same week then you have to take a written and driving exam. Yes, you are reading this correctly. I took my written exam but was told I'd have to come the day I wanted to take the driving exam in order to make an appointment. There were no open spots for that afternoon. That's right, you have to drive down there and make an appointment even though you have no idea what slot you'll receive. You can't call in or do it online. Can I get a show of hands for how backasswards this is?
The rest of the day I just hung out at the house doing this and that. Bryan and I attended a short stick seminar taught by a 7th degree from Alabama. It was a pretty cool event. It was geared toward using any stick in a street type fighting...basically using a weapon you could commonly find in easy and logical ways.
After the stick seminar we met up with a few other's at Ben's house, and then we all went to see Zach and Miri Make a Porno. The movie was sooo hilarious! Then it was bedtime. :)
Saturday:
It was just another Shaolin-Do Saturday. We were there early for Bryan's class then lunch then back for my class.
That night we celebrated Jason's birthday by going out to eat at a Hibachi restaurant. It was a lot of fun. The food was good and the chef was great entertainment.
Here are the pictures from the dinner:
Dinner
Here are the videos from the dinner:
Sunday:
Sunday we got some much needed things done around the house and a few errands taken care of. We went to Game Over and traded in some things and got some new games for the Gamecube. We then worked on a Christmas project of mine and then finally played the games we purchased...good day indeed.
It was our 9 month anniversary! :)
Monday & Tuesday:
I spent both days at a school in Leander observing more classrooms. I'll just say again that observing is quite boring....quite. The school was nice and everyone is friendly, but I'd rather be standing at the front of the room than sitting in the back. I would like to teach here in Leander; it's close and the schools are very nice.
Monday night I went to Kung Fu. My material has really come along though my sparring was terrible. I was actually told I would be testing on Wednesday so we'll see. Tuesday night I went to TKD where my sparring was still terrible and my form has really suffered thanks to my new found love of Kung Fu. I have also come to really not like the TKD school that much. I'll be glad when my time there is done I think. I think that most of it has to do with the change of owners but some is credited to seeing it with new eyes after seeing what a real school can be like.
Upcoming Events:
- Wednesday: Kung Fu Testing (?)
- Thursday/Friday: High School Subbing (1st time! - scary!!)
- Saturday @ 3PM: Shaolin-Do Open House (won't be there because....)
- Saturday @ 3:30PM: TKD Testing (from blue belt to senior blue)
a kiss
face off
stretch
look this way
close up
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Subbing - It's What I Do
I really regret not posting more regularly. Will I ever get to present day without a posting the size of a small book?
Monday:
I subbed the special education class again. I like subbing. You get to meet tons of different kids and see all the school. It's also helping me see which grade I'm more leaning towards. It's also kinda cool to go to a new location every time you go to work - keeps things interesting. :) The kids for the most part are really sweet, and I really enjoy my time with them.
I received my present from Bryan's parents. It was Marry Poppins on DVD. It's like they know me or something. ;) They also mailed us lots of yummy food!
Monday night we went to class.
Tuesday (Election Day but more importantly my birthday!):
Tuesday I decided not to go into work so that I could go get my driver's license which expired on this day. Yeah, yeah...I know I waited until the very last minute, and believe me, I paid for it! I got up super early so I could be there when it opened so as not to spend all day there. Turns out I could have slept in on my birthday because I needed my birth certificate which was in Mississippi. I never even got a number. I was SUPER ticked off that I had wasted my time and that my license was going to expire before I could get a new one. The Texas DPS site did say that I needed it but only if you know to search really hard to find it. They could really make that site more dummy proof. I suppose the employees of the TX DPS must really enjoy hearing the same complaints and arguments day after day. Wonder what their breaking point is on getting things changed?
So, back home I went. I started watching a movie and Bryan went and got my a chicken biscuit for breakfast. He fed me all my favorite foods on my birthday. He's the best!
I convinced Bryan to take the rest of the day off and play hooky with me! He made an awesome lunch and later followed with an awesome dinner which wouldn't have been possible if not for the food that his mom mailed us. We watched a lot of House since they were running a marathon (great present from the TV!). I FINALLY received my present from Bryan which was too perfect. He found a place that will print paintings on canvas. He had them do a beautiful Munch painting. You can even see the brush strokes; it's crazy and beautiful. He knows me so well! I enjoyed hanging out with Bryan at home even if it did start out a little rough thanks to the TX DPS.
Pictures of me opening Bryan's gift:
It's so big!
What could it be?
But first the card
Will I ever get to it?
Almost there...
Who packaged this?
OMG!
Wow!
It's beautiful!
Wednesday:
Subbed again - my own class this time - a first! It was a fourth grade class - all Hispanic and I don't speak any Spanish. Luckily they were all very fluent in English or that would have been a major disaster. The kids were pretty good until last hour when talking became a problem. The talking out of turn started to get to me. I was relieved when it was time to leave. Overall, my first experience running a class was great. They listened to me, and I feel that I did a pretty good job reacting on my feet and making sure that we got all of the day's activities in found on the lesson plan.
Wednesday night we went to the sparring "class". I kicked someone's elbow with my foot again and boy did it smart! It's only just now feeling back to normal today. I love this class. I'm learning a lot and noticing that I'm reacting a lot quicker than I used to. I'm also able to see thing that are happening where they used to just be a blur. I do love to spar even if I'm not all that great at it. I tried to do the Kung Fu class after this but my foot was hurting so bad that I opted just to leave.
Thursday:
I FINALLY started my classroom observations. It was at this brand new elementary school really close to the house. It was kind of boring just observing and taking notes, but it was an opportunity to learn. Everyone was really nice and welcomed me into their classroom which was nice. It's always good to see what other teachers are doing so I can know not to do that or to pick up some great ideas.
Thursday night I went to TKD which was cool because a 7th degree senior master was there and taught class. I always love taking class under someone knew because they all focus on different things which is a great learning experience. I also realized that I had kinda forgotten my form thanks to spending all my time focusing on Kung Fu and almost none on TKD. I stayed after class and went over it till I had it down again. I better practice because testing is next Saturday! I also got a chance to converse with the senior master. He was really awesome!
Monday:
I subbed the special education class again. I like subbing. You get to meet tons of different kids and see all the school. It's also helping me see which grade I'm more leaning towards. It's also kinda cool to go to a new location every time you go to work - keeps things interesting. :) The kids for the most part are really sweet, and I really enjoy my time with them.
I received my present from Bryan's parents. It was Marry Poppins on DVD. It's like they know me or something. ;) They also mailed us lots of yummy food!
Monday night we went to class.
Tuesday (Election Day but more importantly my birthday!):
Tuesday I decided not to go into work so that I could go get my driver's license which expired on this day. Yeah, yeah...I know I waited until the very last minute, and believe me, I paid for it! I got up super early so I could be there when it opened so as not to spend all day there. Turns out I could have slept in on my birthday because I needed my birth certificate which was in Mississippi. I never even got a number. I was SUPER ticked off that I had wasted my time and that my license was going to expire before I could get a new one. The Texas DPS site did say that I needed it but only if you know to search really hard to find it. They could really make that site more dummy proof. I suppose the employees of the TX DPS must really enjoy hearing the same complaints and arguments day after day. Wonder what their breaking point is on getting things changed?
So, back home I went. I started watching a movie and Bryan went and got my a chicken biscuit for breakfast. He fed me all my favorite foods on my birthday. He's the best!
I convinced Bryan to take the rest of the day off and play hooky with me! He made an awesome lunch and later followed with an awesome dinner which wouldn't have been possible if not for the food that his mom mailed us. We watched a lot of House since they were running a marathon (great present from the TV!). I FINALLY received my present from Bryan which was too perfect. He found a place that will print paintings on canvas. He had them do a beautiful Munch painting. You can even see the brush strokes; it's crazy and beautiful. He knows me so well! I enjoyed hanging out with Bryan at home even if it did start out a little rough thanks to the TX DPS.
Pictures of me opening Bryan's gift:
It's so big!
What could it be?
But first the card
Will I ever get to it?
Almost there...
Who packaged this?
OMG!
Wow!
It's beautiful!
Wednesday:
Subbed again - my own class this time - a first! It was a fourth grade class - all Hispanic and I don't speak any Spanish. Luckily they were all very fluent in English or that would have been a major disaster. The kids were pretty good until last hour when talking became a problem. The talking out of turn started to get to me. I was relieved when it was time to leave. Overall, my first experience running a class was great. They listened to me, and I feel that I did a pretty good job reacting on my feet and making sure that we got all of the day's activities in found on the lesson plan.
Wednesday night we went to the sparring "class". I kicked someone's elbow with my foot again and boy did it smart! It's only just now feeling back to normal today. I love this class. I'm learning a lot and noticing that I'm reacting a lot quicker than I used to. I'm also able to see thing that are happening where they used to just be a blur. I do love to spar even if I'm not all that great at it. I tried to do the Kung Fu class after this but my foot was hurting so bad that I opted just to leave.
Thursday:
I FINALLY started my classroom observations. It was at this brand new elementary school really close to the house. It was kind of boring just observing and taking notes, but it was an opportunity to learn. Everyone was really nice and welcomed me into their classroom which was nice. It's always good to see what other teachers are doing so I can know not to do that or to pick up some great ideas.
Thursday night I went to TKD which was cool because a 7th degree senior master was there and taught class. I always love taking class under someone knew because they all focus on different things which is a great learning experience. I also realized that I had kinda forgotten my form thanks to spending all my time focusing on Kung Fu and almost none on TKD. I stayed after class and went over it till I had it down again. I better practice because testing is next Saturday! I also got a chance to converse with the senior master. He was really awesome!
Friday, November 7, 2008
Turning 26 (Surprise!)
The last time I posted I had all my readers caught up on the events up to Halloween. Let me catch you up to speed to present day (but not in this post). After this is accomplished I take a vow to post more regularly so as not to bore you with lengthy posts. Consider it my New Year's resolution come early. :D
Saturday:
Saturday was spent like most of the Saturday's of the last month or so. It was a Shaolin-Do Saturday. We arrived at 9 AM for Bryan's class, grabbed lunch, then returned at 1 PM for my class. I went with Tai Chi this time instead of Kung Fu just because I have all of my Kung Fu material and wanted to get more of the Tai Chi form. I managed to get confused but possible retain a little more of the form at the same time.
Bryan had been telling me for a few days that we were going to go out for dinner on Saturday night but refused to tell me where. So, we came home and got ready then left for somewhere. It ended up being Dave and Buster's. I had never been here before so I was pretty excited when we pulled up. Little did I know that the surprises had just began. We walked in and quickly saw that a whole table of my friends were already there! I couldn't believe it. Bryan had managed to pull a surprise party together for me where almost everyone was there. I couldn't believe how many people showed up, and I appreciated each person being there. It mean more to me than any of them could know. Bryan wanted me to have a video game party even though I had canceled mine. He is too sweet! I love him! It was an awesome night. We had great food and there was even a cake - a VERY special cake. Bryan had Ligi make me a Facbook cake!
This cake was soooo amazing. It was perfect - perfect for me. Anyone who knows me knows that I am pretty much addicted to Facebook. I use it for everything and to keep up with everyone. I really do think it is the greatest site ever! Ligi did an amazing job on the cake, but then again her skills are insanely good! Everyone was oooohing and aaaahing over it. There were birthday wishes from some people as wall posts. It was just absolutely perfect. It was very hard to cut into, but it was chocolate! It was delicious too!
After devouring way too much food, most everyone hit the game floor where we played to our hearts content. It was sooo much fun. I played, and played, and played. Then I got to cash in all of my tickets for prizes. I decided to get some happies for my siblings' Christmas present. They will enjoy anything there more than I would. I still can't believe that Bryan managed to surprise me (no on has ever done that) and give me the best birthday of my life! Thanks B, I know I can always count on you.
Album of the birthday party: Surprise!
Sunday:
Sunday wasn't a very exciting day. We made it to conditioning class; this was a first for me. Then we came home and cleaned the house - much needed. Then we lounged - something we are very good at.
I'll catch you up to speed with all my school stuff in the next post.
Saturday:
Saturday was spent like most of the Saturday's of the last month or so. It was a Shaolin-Do Saturday. We arrived at 9 AM for Bryan's class, grabbed lunch, then returned at 1 PM for my class. I went with Tai Chi this time instead of Kung Fu just because I have all of my Kung Fu material and wanted to get more of the Tai Chi form. I managed to get confused but possible retain a little more of the form at the same time.
Bryan had been telling me for a few days that we were going to go out for dinner on Saturday night but refused to tell me where. So, we came home and got ready then left for somewhere. It ended up being Dave and Buster's. I had never been here before so I was pretty excited when we pulled up. Little did I know that the surprises had just began. We walked in and quickly saw that a whole table of my friends were already there! I couldn't believe it. Bryan had managed to pull a surprise party together for me where almost everyone was there. I couldn't believe how many people showed up, and I appreciated each person being there. It mean more to me than any of them could know. Bryan wanted me to have a video game party even though I had canceled mine. He is too sweet! I love him! It was an awesome night. We had great food and there was even a cake - a VERY special cake. Bryan had Ligi make me a Facbook cake!
This cake was soooo amazing. It was perfect - perfect for me. Anyone who knows me knows that I am pretty much addicted to Facebook. I use it for everything and to keep up with everyone. I really do think it is the greatest site ever! Ligi did an amazing job on the cake, but then again her skills are insanely good! Everyone was oooohing and aaaahing over it. There were birthday wishes from some people as wall posts. It was just absolutely perfect. It was very hard to cut into, but it was chocolate! It was delicious too!
After devouring way too much food, most everyone hit the game floor where we played to our hearts content. It was sooo much fun. I played, and played, and played. Then I got to cash in all of my tickets for prizes. I decided to get some happies for my siblings' Christmas present. They will enjoy anything there more than I would. I still can't believe that Bryan managed to surprise me (no on has ever done that) and give me the best birthday of my life! Thanks B, I know I can always count on you.
Album of the birthday party: Surprise!
Sunday:
Sunday wasn't a very exciting day. We made it to conditioning class; this was a first for me. Then we came home and cleaned the house - much needed. Then we lounged - something we are very good at.
I'll catch you up to speed with all my school stuff in the next post.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Recap (Up To Halloween)
Wow - almost a week without a post and even after I promised to do better. Tsk tsk. Well, it's because I've been busy and working! :O Let me tell you all about it...
Wednesday night:
Some of the Kung Fu people met up before class for a little impromptu sparring. It was really fun. It was cool to spar the black belts that I don't get to see in class usually. I only got 2 boo boos. :( I kicked Tommy's elbow - totally my fault. It hurt very much. Then Bryan kicked me in the eye! It only left a small mark. It was more of a shock than anything else. I had run before we left for the school so after running, sparring, and then regular class I thought I was going to die! Thanks to kicking Tommy my foot kept me up half the night tingling.
Thursday:
Thanks to being up half the night nursing my foot, I was dead asleep when SubFinder called me to come sub for the afternoon. I managed to wake myself up and get ready and to the school for my first subbing experience. I couldn't have picked a better one. I only had to preside over a learning lab. It was a peace of cake.
Thursday night:
It was finally time to go to the haunted house. We met everyone at Tommy's house and then on to the haunted house. It was in this strip mall...not so scary...that was until we got closer to the entrance. A zombie priest met me in the parking lot to "throw up" next to my feet...more disturbing than scary. But then a clown chased me with a chainsaw. I forget that its all pretend when they chase me especially when I'm running and screaming no! This automatically made my stomach start hurting, and I knew that I had made a grave error. Bryan didn't want to go in the first place, but now that we where there I felt compelled to go in. I tried, really I did. I made it to the entrance and quickly saw that this wasn't going to happen so I turned around and started for the car. A girl clown who had watched me standing outside for about 30 minutes still felt compelled to get one last scare in even though I had never gone inside. She ran up behind me in the parking lot and scared me to tears. I don't think I have ever screamed like that.
I think the whole this was a little overkill. I mean what you subject yourself to by entering is one thing, but they should really tone it down in the parking lot. There were a lot of patrons of other stores merely trying to shop. I saw the priest chasing some girl through the parking lot. If she was as scared as I was, there is a good chance she forgot where she was. She could have ran in front of a car or something. Totally dangerous. I'm a big chicken. I'm pretty positive Bryan was relieved that I chickened out. We went home. Crisis averted.
Friday:
Halloween! I spent the day working at a school down south subbing for a special education teacher's assistant. It was very different. I was scared to take the position at first, but it was all I could get. Plus, I need both the money and experience. It turned out not to be bad at all. There was another teacher there. I actually enjoyed myself, and I managed to grab the same class for Monday.
I wasn't expecting to be working this week so I was very unprepared for the actual arrival of Halloween. We didn't have costumes nor had I carved the pumpkin we bought weeks ago. I immediately started carving it when I walked through the door so it would be out before the trick or treaters arrived. We chose to dress up as well ourselves (our Kung Fu uniforms). I also made some vampire cookies before the kids starting coming in full force. The kids were all super cute. We handed out flier for the Kung Fu school - a genius idea on my part. It was fun just hanging out on the front porch and greeting the children. We still have tons of candy if you are interested.
Video of Bella eating pumpkin (she loves the stuff):
Pictures of Halloween:
about to start carving
digging out the inside
it's pretty much finished
on the porch
bryan in costume
lit up!
cookies (halfway)
vampire cookies
Wednesday night:
Some of the Kung Fu people met up before class for a little impromptu sparring. It was really fun. It was cool to spar the black belts that I don't get to see in class usually. I only got 2 boo boos. :( I kicked Tommy's elbow - totally my fault. It hurt very much. Then Bryan kicked me in the eye! It only left a small mark. It was more of a shock than anything else. I had run before we left for the school so after running, sparring, and then regular class I thought I was going to die! Thanks to kicking Tommy my foot kept me up half the night tingling.
Thursday:
Thanks to being up half the night nursing my foot, I was dead asleep when SubFinder called me to come sub for the afternoon. I managed to wake myself up and get ready and to the school for my first subbing experience. I couldn't have picked a better one. I only had to preside over a learning lab. It was a peace of cake.
Thursday night:
It was finally time to go to the haunted house. We met everyone at Tommy's house and then on to the haunted house. It was in this strip mall...not so scary...that was until we got closer to the entrance. A zombie priest met me in the parking lot to "throw up" next to my feet...more disturbing than scary. But then a clown chased me with a chainsaw. I forget that its all pretend when they chase me especially when I'm running and screaming no! This automatically made my stomach start hurting, and I knew that I had made a grave error. Bryan didn't want to go in the first place, but now that we where there I felt compelled to go in. I tried, really I did. I made it to the entrance and quickly saw that this wasn't going to happen so I turned around and started for the car. A girl clown who had watched me standing outside for about 30 minutes still felt compelled to get one last scare in even though I had never gone inside. She ran up behind me in the parking lot and scared me to tears. I don't think I have ever screamed like that.
I think the whole this was a little overkill. I mean what you subject yourself to by entering is one thing, but they should really tone it down in the parking lot. There were a lot of patrons of other stores merely trying to shop. I saw the priest chasing some girl through the parking lot. If she was as scared as I was, there is a good chance she forgot where she was. She could have ran in front of a car or something. Totally dangerous. I'm a big chicken. I'm pretty positive Bryan was relieved that I chickened out. We went home. Crisis averted.
Friday:
Halloween! I spent the day working at a school down south subbing for a special education teacher's assistant. It was very different. I was scared to take the position at first, but it was all I could get. Plus, I need both the money and experience. It turned out not to be bad at all. There was another teacher there. I actually enjoyed myself, and I managed to grab the same class for Monday.
I wasn't expecting to be working this week so I was very unprepared for the actual arrival of Halloween. We didn't have costumes nor had I carved the pumpkin we bought weeks ago. I immediately started carving it when I walked through the door so it would be out before the trick or treaters arrived. We chose to dress up as well ourselves (our Kung Fu uniforms). I also made some vampire cookies before the kids starting coming in full force. The kids were all super cute. We handed out flier for the Kung Fu school - a genius idea on my part. It was fun just hanging out on the front porch and greeting the children. We still have tons of candy if you are interested.
Video of Bella eating pumpkin (she loves the stuff):
Pictures of Halloween:
about to start carving
digging out the inside
it's pretty much finished
on the porch
bryan in costume
lit up!
cookies (halfway)
vampire cookies
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
I Voted!
I voted today! It was the first time I ever had. Yeah, I know I shouldn't have waited so long to become interested in politics, but at least I finally did. It only took about 15 minutes. The line was moving pretty quickly thank goodness. I would have hated to stand in line forever for a 2 minute process. It was really easy too. I couldn't have asked for a less painful experience. I even got an "I Voted" sticker. And since I was already at the library I decided to go inside. I had never been to the Cedar Park library - pretty sad considering it is practically right across the road. All I checked out was a DVD (it's free and way cheaper than renting one :) ). But now I have my library card and can go whenever which I definitely plan to.
There are a lot of cool things coming up.
Tomorrow night some of us are going to this haunted house. I really don't like haunted houses, but I think maybe this year I can do this. However, after looking at the website, I am definitely already a little scared. The important thing to remember is that it's not real, and no one is really trying to harm me. We'll see how far that goes. :)
I've also been invited to go play bunco with some girls - some I know and some I will be meeting for the first time. I don't even know how to play this game. I better get started on my research. :)
Let's not forget the most important thing coming up - my birthday! Yay! It's also election day, but yeah, I'm more excited for my b-day! What can I say? I'm selfish like that. :) Kidding - I am anxious to find out how this whole election turns out even though I'm pretty sure I already know. However, it would be nice to not turn on the television until November 5, but I'm sure I will. I am positive that this birthday will go so much better than the previous years which sucked beyond belief. It's definitely time to break this streak of bad b-days.
There is a tactical short stick seminar coming up at the TKD school. It's open for anyone so feel free to come. Bryan and I will both be attending - at least that's the plan. It's being taught by a 7th degree master which I happen to think is pretty damn cool.
I will also be doing some of my classroom observations the first week in November. And I'm eligible to start substituting on November 1. Good times!
Oh, and don't forget that daylight savings time ends soon - very soon...sadly.
It's getting colder. It's still warm during the afternoon, but definitely a lot nippier during the night and morning hours. I can smell winter on the air which makes me excited for Christmas and the trip to Mississippi but not so much the cold weather. However, it's nice to start wearing some different clothes. I was getting tired of the summer ones.
A recent picture of the cats - one I have deemed synchronized napping:
Sites that I think you should check out:
MTV Music which has every video ever. It is really awesome and definitely a time waster, but it's pretty cool to pull up any video by a simple search. I still probably like Launch better because it gives you your own station that plays music or videos based on past ratings. It's nice to leave on and forget about.
There are a lot of cool things coming up.
Tomorrow night some of us are going to this haunted house. I really don't like haunted houses, but I think maybe this year I can do this. However, after looking at the website, I am definitely already a little scared. The important thing to remember is that it's not real, and no one is really trying to harm me. We'll see how far that goes. :)
I've also been invited to go play bunco with some girls - some I know and some I will be meeting for the first time. I don't even know how to play this game. I better get started on my research. :)
Let's not forget the most important thing coming up - my birthday! Yay! It's also election day, but yeah, I'm more excited for my b-day! What can I say? I'm selfish like that. :) Kidding - I am anxious to find out how this whole election turns out even though I'm pretty sure I already know. However, it would be nice to not turn on the television until November 5, but I'm sure I will. I am positive that this birthday will go so much better than the previous years which sucked beyond belief. It's definitely time to break this streak of bad b-days.
There is a tactical short stick seminar coming up at the TKD school. It's open for anyone so feel free to come. Bryan and I will both be attending - at least that's the plan. It's being taught by a 7th degree master which I happen to think is pretty damn cool.
I will also be doing some of my classroom observations the first week in November. And I'm eligible to start substituting on November 1. Good times!
Oh, and don't forget that daylight savings time ends soon - very soon...sadly.
It's getting colder. It's still warm during the afternoon, but definitely a lot nippier during the night and morning hours. I can smell winter on the air which makes me excited for Christmas and the trip to Mississippi but not so much the cold weather. However, it's nice to start wearing some different clothes. I was getting tired of the summer ones.
A recent picture of the cats - one I have deemed synchronized napping:
Sites that I think you should check out:
MTV Music which has every video ever. It is really awesome and definitely a time waster, but it's pretty cool to pull up any video by a simple search. I still probably like Launch better because it gives you your own station that plays music or videos based on past ratings. It's nice to leave on and forget about.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Renaissance Fair!
So it has been over a week since I posted. I'm a bad blogger!
There isn't much to note from last week. I missed a lot of classes in the latter part of the week and all weekend. I paid dearly for this last night. I did attend a sword class at TKD Friday night. That was just my second one. We started learning the form. I'm starting to collect a lot of martial arts stuff in my head. It's definitely time for me to review ALL of it until it sticks. I started Tai Chi last night so that's martial art number 3. Whew. I'm exhausted just thinking about all of it. It is definitely a balancing act. I can't really see doing Tae Kwon Do long term. Especially when you look at how much Kung Fu has to offer in the matter of material compared to TKD. I most likely will get my black belt and be done with TKD. I hope that doesn't make me sound like a loser. And no I'm not just getting my black to be a black belt; I actually am paid up until then so I should take advantage of what I paid for.
The only other thing that happened last week of note was Friday. I was finally able to attend the substitute orientation for Austin ISD. It was from 8 AM to 2:30 PM. I have to admit I was pretty worn out. I'm just not used to that whole work day mentality sadly. However, I hope this will change VERY soon. I can start subbing as soon as November 1! Yay! The Austin ISD substitute system is pretty advanced and cool. You can secure jobs just by logging on to the system. However, there will probably be a lot of early morning phone calls for a lot of the jobs. This means I have to be up and ready (or ready to get ready) every morning. This may be what I have to do until the summer time as finding a teaching job in the middle of the year while not impossible is going to difficult.
I have been emailing back and forth with a school in the Leander ISD and am scheduled to do 8 classroom observations there during the first week of November! Yay! I love advancement.
This weekend was super fun. After the sword class Bryan and I went out to eat and then over to Ben's to discuss the upcoming Kung Fu festival (ask me more if you're interested in starting a martial art!). It was fun to brainstorm with everyone, but eventually Bryan and I were too tired to think. We left and ran to Wal*Mart to purchase a few last minute camping must haves (sleeping bags, lantern).
Saturday morning's alarm clock came much, much too early, but it couldn't be ignored. We had to roll out to Amy and Jason's house to meet everyone and head out to Plantersville, TX for the Renaissance Fair. It was about a 3 hour drive - very scenic and nice. When we arrived at the camping grounds we chose to camp out in the normal a.k.a. "rowdy" section (bad idea!). I knew we should've chosen the quiet family campground when I saw a sign that was the definition for pandemonium. We set up all of the tents (a first for both Bryan and I). However, we did get it up, and it stayed up. We did have help from everyone else. I have been camping once before, but this was Bryan's first experience.
After everything was finally set up we got dressed in our costumes (4 out of 6 of us dressed up) and headed to the fair. That place was crazy! I couldn't believe how many people dressed up. There was sooo much to do and see and eat! They had shows galore, games, a garden, animal rides, a petting zoo...you name it, they had it! I was loving it. I wanted to see it all and do it all. I think we did about all you can do for one afternoon. We made sure to eat a lot. We also played a lot of the games which were things like knife throwing, ax throwing, bow and arrow shooting, etc. We saw 2 shows - ded bob which was hilarious and the jousting which was pretty cool too. I definitely want to return next year.
I just want to thank Amy again for sewing me that lovely and totally awesome costume. Without her I wouldn't have just worn jeans. It definitely made the experience that much better to get to dress the part.
Camping that night was fun up until sleeping time. It was fun just hanging out by the campfire talking with everyone and roasting stuff and eating it. By the way - roasted snickers = yum! I had my first s'mores - not that awesome actually. Oh well, I still ate 2! :D
It was cold, but thankfully the sleeping bags kept us pretty warm throughout the night. Unfortunately at 1:30 AM the douche nozzle next to us decided it was time to turn on his generator. It was sooo loud. I probably would've slept quite nicely through the night if this wouldn't have occurred. I couldn't go back to sleep for hours! It sucked. I wanted to go home at 2 AM - seriously! I was so miserable all of Sunday thanks to this lack of sleep. We got everything down and packed back up and back home in good time. I was glad to see the house again because I was anxious to sleep in our bed. Jason came over and gave me a birthday present (The Simpsons Movie). He didn't stay for long. And finally it was time to sleep...and sleep I did.
Here are the pictures from the Renaissance Fair:
Album 1
Album 2
Here are the videos that I took of the jousting:
There isn't much to note from last week. I missed a lot of classes in the latter part of the week and all weekend. I paid dearly for this last night. I did attend a sword class at TKD Friday night. That was just my second one. We started learning the form. I'm starting to collect a lot of martial arts stuff in my head. It's definitely time for me to review ALL of it until it sticks. I started Tai Chi last night so that's martial art number 3. Whew. I'm exhausted just thinking about all of it. It is definitely a balancing act. I can't really see doing Tae Kwon Do long term. Especially when you look at how much Kung Fu has to offer in the matter of material compared to TKD. I most likely will get my black belt and be done with TKD. I hope that doesn't make me sound like a loser. And no I'm not just getting my black to be a black belt; I actually am paid up until then so I should take advantage of what I paid for.
The only other thing that happened last week of note was Friday. I was finally able to attend the substitute orientation for Austin ISD. It was from 8 AM to 2:30 PM. I have to admit I was pretty worn out. I'm just not used to that whole work day mentality sadly. However, I hope this will change VERY soon. I can start subbing as soon as November 1! Yay! The Austin ISD substitute system is pretty advanced and cool. You can secure jobs just by logging on to the system. However, there will probably be a lot of early morning phone calls for a lot of the jobs. This means I have to be up and ready (or ready to get ready) every morning. This may be what I have to do until the summer time as finding a teaching job in the middle of the year while not impossible is going to difficult.
I have been emailing back and forth with a school in the Leander ISD and am scheduled to do 8 classroom observations there during the first week of November! Yay! I love advancement.
This weekend was super fun. After the sword class Bryan and I went out to eat and then over to Ben's to discuss the upcoming Kung Fu festival (ask me more if you're interested in starting a martial art!). It was fun to brainstorm with everyone, but eventually Bryan and I were too tired to think. We left and ran to Wal*Mart to purchase a few last minute camping must haves (sleeping bags, lantern).
Saturday morning's alarm clock came much, much too early, but it couldn't be ignored. We had to roll out to Amy and Jason's house to meet everyone and head out to Plantersville, TX for the Renaissance Fair. It was about a 3 hour drive - very scenic and nice. When we arrived at the camping grounds we chose to camp out in the normal a.k.a. "rowdy" section (bad idea!). I knew we should've chosen the quiet family campground when I saw a sign that was the definition for pandemonium. We set up all of the tents (a first for both Bryan and I). However, we did get it up, and it stayed up. We did have help from everyone else. I have been camping once before, but this was Bryan's first experience.
After everything was finally set up we got dressed in our costumes (4 out of 6 of us dressed up) and headed to the fair. That place was crazy! I couldn't believe how many people dressed up. There was sooo much to do and see and eat! They had shows galore, games, a garden, animal rides, a petting zoo...you name it, they had it! I was loving it. I wanted to see it all and do it all. I think we did about all you can do for one afternoon. We made sure to eat a lot. We also played a lot of the games which were things like knife throwing, ax throwing, bow and arrow shooting, etc. We saw 2 shows - ded bob which was hilarious and the jousting which was pretty cool too. I definitely want to return next year.
I just want to thank Amy again for sewing me that lovely and totally awesome costume. Without her I wouldn't have just worn jeans. It definitely made the experience that much better to get to dress the part.
Camping that night was fun up until sleeping time. It was fun just hanging out by the campfire talking with everyone and roasting stuff and eating it. By the way - roasted snickers = yum! I had my first s'mores - not that awesome actually. Oh well, I still ate 2! :D
It was cold, but thankfully the sleeping bags kept us pretty warm throughout the night. Unfortunately at 1:30 AM the douche nozzle next to us decided it was time to turn on his generator. It was sooo loud. I probably would've slept quite nicely through the night if this wouldn't have occurred. I couldn't go back to sleep for hours! It sucked. I wanted to go home at 2 AM - seriously! I was so miserable all of Sunday thanks to this lack of sleep. We got everything down and packed back up and back home in good time. I was glad to see the house again because I was anxious to sleep in our bed. Jason came over and gave me a birthday present (The Simpsons Movie). He didn't stay for long. And finally it was time to sleep...and sleep I did.
Here are the pictures from the Renaissance Fair:
Album 1
Album 2
Here are the videos that I took of the jousting:
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