Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Lost in Blog Land

So, I have a gazillion things to do including writing the stupid Leadership Lens newsletter (which I'm trying to get done by Friday), critiquing four yearbooks (which needs to be done by next Friday and is totally time consuming), mailing all of the stuff I had to collect from people back to them for The Book, plus a whole host of other stuff that needs to be done. I have been wandering through blog land reading other peoples blogs and, in general, amusing myself at other people's follies.

Geez. Why do I torture myself in this fashion??? In addition, I have a ton of photos etc that I keep meaning to post on my own ding dong blog, but I haven't because, and this is actually good, when I get home I have been working tirelessly on the yard, walking the dogs, cleaning etc.

That then brings me back to Mrs. G's blog that I love so much trying to figure out how in the hell she has time to blog so often!! Yikes. I do not know how she does it. I do love that her blog is up for the best humorous blog award. I didn't even know there WERE blog awards, but if anyone should be recognized for wit and sheer reading pleasure of the blog, it should be Mrs. G. So, cheers to Mrs. G, and although in real life you drink less than your blog world, I drink more, so I'll be tipping one back to you later tonight. I'd do it now, but the public education system gets so cranky about teachers drinking during the day. sigh.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Everything I need to know

So, Mary Beth, who loves me dearly, sent me a copy of the book Everything I need to know I learned from other women that I whined about mentioned wanting in an earlier post, and I'm really enjoying it. As it turns out there is a section on the importance of friendship. Women are a source of strength for each other and when we get busy sometimes are friendships are the first thing to go even though we should be vigilant in caring for them.

I know that most friendships have lifespans if you will. We meet and become friends because of work or children or some such, but then the friendships end because of one circumstance or another changing. I like to think that even the short lived friendships serve a purpose, and we both get something from the friendship.

In that spirit, today I had the first "Journalism teachers get together". It was a lot of fun. There were six of us. It was nice just to sit around and talk and enjoy each other's company. I'm hoping we can keep meeting once a month and form a support network for each other.

I'll have to mind my times because I left a little after six but the traffic was horrible. I'm lucky Sabrina and Buddy didn't start eating the side of the house.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Learning new things

I've learned a new trick. Mrs. G, owner of one of my favorite blogs, has delightful strike throughs that she uses. She kindly taught me something new, so now I can mark through crap less interesting comments and leave behind the thought provoking and interesting comments.

See? Now, isn't that fun?

If I want to comment on Scoobie and his idiocy less than stellar performances, then I can using friendly euphemisms rather than what I really think.

Oh, I think I'm really going to love these strike throughs.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Giving back to the Universe

I don't know if you've seen "New Adventures of Old Christine" (terrible show and painful to watch albeit sometimes amusing, but there is an episode where they have been watching Oprah, and she decides to be happy for everyone and give back to the universe.)

I am charmed by this. I am going to start sending positive energy into the world. I realize there are a couple of people that are going to put this new attitude to the test, but I am woman hear me roar. The new and improved Perkins is going to send positive energy into the world.

Also being a girl of the modern age, I started surfing the internet for a visual aide for my giving back to the universe. (As a side note, it is amazing how the porn industry can take the most innocuous statement and make it dirty . . . ) I found an article (I always forget to hit images when I'm looking for pictures) in a book called Everything I know I learned from other women.
I think it has some great stories . . . if anyone who loves me wants to buy and read it before passing it on to me . . . that would be cool. (Sorry, you may notice that the new poor me has chosen to throw out these subtle hints whenever possible.)

I'll let you know how the universe responds . . .

Hot, Flat and Crowded

I woke up with a headache. Ignored the dogs for as long as I could before throwing them in the kitchen. Ignored them some more before dragging myself in to watch a little tv after taking some Advil. I'm watching "Meet the Press." Thomas Friedman was just on (He wrote "The World is Flat.") His new book "Hot, Flat and Crowded" is out September 8. I yearn to read it, but since I sat down and worked on my finances last night and faced the sad truth that I'm living way beyond my means, I'll have to wait until someone who loves me finishes reading it and passes it along. It's not a subtle hint, but it is sincere.

There have been a gazillion energy commercials on during the show. Perhaps they should put more energy commercials on during the evening as most of America sits on its collective behinds watching American Idol etc.

Today is not looking good as far as accomplishing much. At this point I'll be impressed with myself if I manage to get the sheets changed before the end of the day.

Saturday, September 6, 2008

4 day weeks are sooo long

How does it always work out that the short weeks drag on for forever? First, I was a beast of burden last weekend. I dug up 3 bushes and a tree from the back yard. I boxed up a bunch of books in the tv room so that I could lay down my new area rug that I had purchased at Garden Ridge. As my lovely mother pointed out, "It's probably not as nice as you'd like, but knowing your dogs, it could be your best option." Good point.

I don't know if Garden Ridge is all over the country but that is a big freaking store full of a whole lotta stuff. A person could get lost in there for days, and I do mean DAYS looking around at all of their stuff. I kept myself fairly well under control, picked out the area rug and high tailed it out of there.

By the time Monday was over, I was really tired . . . and then the work week began.

Tuesday was open house, so obviously that didn't help anything. I was at school for about 14 hours with a small break to run home and feed the dogs.

Wednesday I watched the Republican National Convention and Ms. Sarah Palin giving her speech. Now, I want to go on record as saying when I heard she was chosen, my first thought was "game on." I think we are now going to have a real race on our hands. Both sides have a mass appeal.

On another note, my favorite moment was when her five year old daughter licked her hand from top to bottom and then started wiping the babies hair down. Yum.

My second favorite moment? When she made the joke about hockey mom's. "What's the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull? Lipstick." My students assure me it is true.

Thursday, I went to dinner with my friend, Helen, and then we went to her freshman son's football game. It was fun, although there was the most obnoxious parent at the game. He yelled the entire time (even when his son wasn't playing). What an idiot. I got home after nine from that which may not seem late to many, but I was already tired . . .

And then Friday. Got to school, worked all day (barely, I'll admit, but I was mostly vertical.) went home, took care of the dogs, back to school for the football game and then the Howdy Dance. The dance was fun although we had a record number of students caught drinking. Shortly after I arrived there were maybe 8 kids in the gym, 4 of them had been drinking. Heeelllloooo, if you are going to drink and go to a dance, at least wait until there is a crowd you can hide behind!

This morning I am at the high school with the ads managers who are working to get their ad done to mail them to the plant. I can't find my keys anywhere which worries me quite a bit especially because I really thought I had put them in the car. Not sure what I'll do if they are really gone. We have to leave by 3pm, which will pretty well shoot today to shit. sigh.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Going to Georgia

Because I am such a good friend : ) I went to Fort Benning, Georgia with my friend Roseanne to watch her son, Drew, graduate from basic training before he headed off to college at Texas Tech. She was very proud, and after 15 weeks, he was very lean. A lean mean fighting machine. The first day we walked around Columbus (not a lot to see as it turns out). It was Drew's first walk in the outside world since he had arrived at Fort Benning in June. I was very proud of the fact I was able to figure my way around the base because of visiting MaryBeth at her many locations around the world. We did stop on our cruise through town long enough to get a photo of the "LSU" house. We both thought of Dad and how he would enjoy living in and/or across the street from a house with such lovely colors . . . On our return trip, I took a gander out the window of the airport to contemplate the hard work of our local baggage handlers. I had to take a photograph because I was so impressed. I hope you can see the arrows. The first arrow points to the baggage handler at the end of the machine ready to catch the bags at a moments notice and toss them onto the little truck to be delivered to all of the passages. The second arrow points to the ONLY PIECE OF LUGGAGE on the machinery. Once he caught it and tossed it, another appeared. . . ONE AT A FREAKING TIME. I don't know how Southwest airlines ever gets ontime arrival status if that is how slowly luggage is unloaded before the plane takes off for its next stop. Yowza. Impressively slow. That is all I'm saying!

Pictures from San Francisco

I just had to look at the pictures on my camera to realize that a. I haven't downloaded any pictures or deleted any off the camera in over a month which mean b. I really haven't been keeping up with the little things in quite some time. I'm lucky I remember to wipe my butt from the looks of things. So, first and foremost, how about some pictures from my many adventures? I say yes!

So, first, my San Francisco trip. Annette got a photo of GK and me. We went to downtown San Fran the first day and walked around China Town etc.

We had dinner at a place called Max's. GK's credit card has Tinkerbell on it. Annette held it so that I could snap a photo because he has this theory that women are like Tinkerbell. Very cute, very loving, until you make us mad, and then you better look out. Poor man, might be a little scarred from his marriage. We went to Santa Cruz with a friend of Annettes and Alexander. Alexander, GK and I did a little Bumper Car Boogie that afternoon. GK was a total sweetheart because I told him I yearned to go to Heartz Castle, not realizing how freaking far away it was from his house. The place is very cool. It had a beautiful swimming pool. Made me want to have another pool. A little bit. I also took a bunch of photos of plants and trees that I want in my yard. I really want a big honking Lemon Tree.

We had to ride a bus up to the top. In front of me sat one of the most annoying children. It was, "mama" this and "mama" that. I wanted to choke the oxygen out of his little lungs. (By that point, I might have been a little stressed from other factors.

I don't remember where we were when we pulled out of a gas station and saw the "Max for Mayor" banner. Cracked me up. I thought it was a pretty good slogan.

I did not get any photos of us rollerskating. Let me rephrase that. Annette, her friend and I rollerskated. GK felt he would be wise to stay on the sidelines. It was really a lot of fun. It is now on my list to do in Dallas, especially since I actually have my own indoor roller skates.

As another update, I thought I'd mention GK now has a house about six blocks from the old house. He is getting settled in and I think the kids are grooving on the idea of having a calm place to go away from the stress of their mother.