Time to update

I have a huge list of things to do, but I am updating the blog because I yearn to keep friends and family updated on my kookie life.

Monday ended uneventfully. I should have enjoyed the day more. I went back up to school for a little while to get work done and watch Designed to Sell on the big screen.

Tuesday - After school I drove over to 711 Dumont and got the contract from Mr Johnson. I took it with me and read it to my friend Lisa in Florida. (She was a real estate agent and got me the house in Plano before moving to Florida to do other things). This summer she has been forced to practice real estate from a distance since I call her all of the time for help. She's a lovely girl, and we are very grateful to her.

I had told Georgia (editor-in-chief and volleyball captain) that I would watch some of the vball game before going to my Barnabas get together. So, I raced from meeting Mr Johnson, who is a Southern in all manner most especially that of talking a whole hell of a lot. I didn't see much of the game, just practice, before having to leave. I did see my friend Deborah. She's hanging in there.

After cult activities I raced home to see if I could get ANY reception on my little TV so that I could watch Boston Legal. It wasn't pretty, but I got it. Love that show. Very strange. And funny.

Wednesday I drove over to Mr. Johnson's house on Swiss Ave (very nice) and gave him my offer on the house, signed, sealed and delivered. (Mom, breath deeply and just don't think about it)

Some company gave the district 60 tickets to the Stars game, and since I hang out at my computer a lot I was able to immediately send a reply to the email saying pick me, pick me. So, Jon-David and I got to go to the game. They were GREAT seats on the platinum level. oohhh la la. The new band director, Joel and the assistant, Chad and their wifes were there too so we had a good time.

Oh, and at 10pm the owner of the BMW FINALLY called and left a message. Geez.

Thursday This requires a prep story. About a year or so ago a former student's Dad came to me about a real estate hall of fame table top book he and several other realtors were heading the creation of and they needed back ground info etc from me. In the course of the conversations I told them it sounded cool, and I'd be interested in organizing it for them. Robert (head guy on this) called me earlier in the week and asked to meet with me if I was still interested etc etc. He also emailed copies of several docs to me including a write up of expected costs etc. For author/creative director the amount was listed at $50,000. Now I don't know that they really plan on paying that, but just the thought is delicious! So, I had that meeting at noon.

After school became a ballet of sorts. Jon-David picked me up down the street from the school so that we could race to my eye doctor appt. They want to see me AGAIN in 4 to 6 weeks. Actually I'm very impressed that they have seen me so many times to make sure there isn't any more plaque or whatever on my eye.

We left the eye dr to meet the inspector at 711 Dumont. He had already done most of the house, so we were there forever going over everything again. Jon-David asking 8 million questions etc. I'm supposed to have the report by Saturday morning. He basically said for a house that is almost 100 years old (don't think about it Mom) it is in great shape and it has been well maintained. During the inspection the owner of the BMW called (by the way I still don't know his name). He's going to take it today to find out how much it'll cost to fix it. He is in the Marine Corp (reserve maybe?) and just got back on Wed. night to get my note. That had to make him happy.

We raced from the inspection to Theater Three. Now usually I go to Theater Three with Pam. She always gets tickets, but Jim doesn't like to go (awwwww) Works out great for me because I love to go with her. Since she still is being careful of going out and about, she asked me if I wanted to go. So, although it was weird to be there without her, I dragged Jon-David. (Pam, please get healthy soon.) Boys do not eat up plays the way girls do if you know what I mean. We saw Tennessee Williams' Vieux Carre. It was really good.

Today is the English department meeting which should prove to be fruitful for blog stories. Sadly this year is not a wackadoodle free year for the English department. Thought it might be, but no.

My little eyes are burning from so many late nights this week! However, I have one more to go. Tonight we have Barbeque with the Band and then a home football game.

Now for all of the weekend I have to get my English grading done and Ann and I are going to check out the houses she bought to see if there is anything good to steal for my house since these are going to be torn down to built very chi-chi new houses.

Jon-David's Aunt Joannie is in town, so hopefully I'll get to see her.

Oh, and Dad has surgery today on his rotator cuff. I have already called Mom showing love and support. Bless her heart.

The problem with not being able to write at night (due to the crappy internet access since I continue to pirate) is that I don't remember all the fun stories of the day. I close on October 19th - things should improve soon after.

auuugggghhhhh

Friday at noon BK met me at a house in Bluffview. It looked like it might be a foreclosure, so something I could possibly talk the price down and then afford. The house was just kookie. Some coke sniffing freak was in charge of adding on . . . several times it looks like. After we parted ways, I called her with a questions and in the course of conversation she let me know it would be a fine plan for me to use a different real estate agent for a while. That's how low I've gotten. I've been fired by my real estate agent. Put "high maintenance" on my forehead and call it done. She really is trying to get her own house remodeled and liveable, so I totally understand. It does make me want to make jokes about the patheticness (this may not be a word, but it should be) of my search. Champagne taste on a beer budget. I don't even like champagne or beer.

Saturday morning I worked the wrestling garage sale until noon. At about 10am we were all looking at each other trying to figure out how it wasn't already 4 in the afternoon. Shortly after that it started to rain, I mean hard rain slanting into the parking garage getting everything wet rain. I didn't think there was any chance of ballooning in the afternoon, but it did clear up.

After the garage sale I went out to look at houses. I found one I am really keen for - you can look it up if you choose. It is 711 Dumont. Very cute. Yes, I yearn for it. There aren't pictures of the inside, but it is a really solid house. We'll see if I manage to make it mine. I'm really still in a total funk cause I think this is a great house, really solid, yada yada, but It's about $15,000 more than I can afford. So little, and yet, so very, very much.

I ballooned Saturday afternoon in the Plano Balloon Festival. Great weather. Fast flight though cause the winds were to the south and there just aren't a lot of places to land.

So, Sunday I miss church. I couldn't quite make 9am, but I couldn't find a 9:30 service anywhere. What is up with that? Apparently the Episcopalians have boycotted 9:30 services.

I was planning on ballooning Sunday afternoon, so I left the apartments with the intention of going to my parents house. Backing up carefully so as not to hit the fence on my left, I instead nailed the BMW sedan behind me to the right. Good news, no damage to Teflon (I highly reccomend the Ford Escape to anyone with a propencity to hit things.) Bad news, nailed the BMW quite nicely. I left a note, but remain on pins and needles having not heard from the owner yet. If the note is still there when I get home, do I get to take it back? I didn't think so. Spoke to my favorite insurance agent ever, who kindly informed me that I'm on the "people we don't want to insure" list already, so I'm really screwed if I turn this in. Can't wait to find out what this will cost me.

I hung out at Mom and Dad's expecting to balloon, but it was cancelled because of high winds. So, I made an appointment to see another house. It is one street over from the Dumont house, but it totally needed to be leveled (this costs approx $10,000) and it cost the same as the Dumont house.

I had to be at school early today to give a make-up test, and I'm here this afternoon to give it. I'll be cleaning up dog pee this afternoon for sure. I think I may come back up here (with Eva) and watch some TV and get some work done tonight. I have got to get my ducks in a row!!

I can't even focus at this point. There are a ton of calls I need to make, but they all need to be made during the day. grr.

shoot me now

I got my paycheck yesterday. Since I am not teaching a 6th class this year, thank you very much Marta for screwing up my year, the COLA we got doesn't equal it, so my paycheck is less than it was last year. This will become important in about 2 paragraphs.

The network went down in the yearbook room, so basically, no one was able to get anything done today. I spent most of 8th period trying to get my English students to stop talking and listen as I worked with them on how to respond to a short answer essay question. Mind you these are all students who basically FAILED an exam of short answer essay questions.

Immediately after school I met BK at the real estate office to go look at houses. We looked at five and drove by 2. They are shit. This is because all I can afford to purchase is shit. In fact, thanks to people previously named, I can afford less than shit. Two of the houses we got totally creeped out and left within about 2 minutes of walking in the door. That kind of shit. BK is working her butt off to get her own house fixed (she bought one to flip), and I think she is getting a little tired of showing me houses. I think she is going to go work for some company which means she won't have as much time to show houses to me either. There's also a chance she is not having a lot of fun being part of the "we're going to offer you way less than you are asking for on the off chance you might say yes, but knowing it will more likely piss you" team.

So, I get home after seeing all of the houses that totally suck (may I add at least 2 were potentially out of my price range) and discover Eva has peed on the floor and Cat has hurled on the bed. Great. Just fabulous.

For dinner this evening I am eating double stuffed Oreo cookies and milk. I have hit a new low. If Jon-David knew, he would have a coronary. "That is not healthy, you eat food that is bad for you and then you get sick, you have to take care of yourself." Blah, Blah, Blah. Alright, I put the stupid oreos away.

Oh, and I don't think I have anything to wear to school tomorrow. What kind of absence does that count as? School safetly, professional courtesy or personal illness . . . I'm ill because my life sucks and I have nothing to wear.

Ah, but at least I am able to pirate internet access this evening to enable friends and family to be a part of the hell that is my world. Don't try to call, I'll be taking a bath.

Going to look at houses . . . again

Makes me tired, that's all I can say. I haven't even looked at any all week. Monday night I went to dinner with Fred (one of the greatest English teachers ever) and Jack Perkins (new English teacher at the school, no relation, but getting lots of his emails) at Cafe Express. So, I did eat healthy. Then off to book club. Great house, nice size group; I think all parents except for the 3 teachers, so total of 18-20 people. I only knew 1 of the parents because her daughter was on the yearbook staff several years ago. Ended up with a long list of books I want to read, although the group only chooses 6 a year.

Tuesday I had Barnabas. However, the wrestling team is having a garage sale. It has turned into a huge motha' of a sale. They have borrowed a 700 ft warehouse that is full stem to stern with stuff. It is probably the coaches last year, and although he is quite the curmugin at times, he is a wonderful person, so I went over to the warehouse to help price after school. It was hot and humid. I had great difficulty pricing some of the stuff. I wanted it. So, did I price it low, so I could afford it or price it high so no one else would take it . . . hmmmmmm. Then I remembered I have no home and no place for anything. sigh.

Barnabas was good. It was nice to see everyone, and it was good to remind myself of my goal of zen. Get myself refocused.

Last night, Jon-David and I went over to my friend Diane's for dinner. It was excellent. After dinner we all drove by some of the houses on my list, which means several got X off by Jon-David. He is such a stickler for no crack houses next door, it can't be falling down, blah, blah, blah.

I called BK afterwards, and we are going to look at 2 houses this afternoon.

In the meantime, the yearbook appears to be rolling along. This week began the "buy their love program," one of my personal favorites I might add. The editors asked the English teachers to pass surveys out to all of their students, so Monday the Highlander delivered flowers to all of the English teachers. Tuesday, in an effort to continue spreading the love, the girls delivered flowers to all of the support staff, counselors and the administrators. I told the girls, now is the time to ask for whatever it is you want from people!

Also, it was nice this week when two different teachers were upset about the way journalism students entered the room, and NEITHER student was one of mine! That's right baby, I'm teaching 'em right.

My 8th period continues to be unbelievably goofy. However, one of my editors didn't want to be in some math class, so she is now a TA in my English class. Hot dog baby.

I talked to my friend Pam in Florida. . . She is PREGNANT. I am so excited for her. It is awesome. Keep her and the baby in your prayers, heck go ahead and keep Chad in them too. I know everyone wants to get past 12 weeks to feel a little more confident. Go Pam and Chad. Good work : )

Fran is much more relaxed these days, although Mom now has some drama going down over will she or will she not really retire. Odds start at 50 to 1. She's also stressing because Dad blew his rotator cup (the man will do anything to get out of mowing ha ha). So he has to have surgery. Go ahead and just pray for me on this one. ; )

Jon-David's Aunt Joannie comes into town today for a week. She's the oldest of the family. Hopefully we'll get to hang out with her a little bit. The balloon festival is this weekend too, so as usual it will probably be hopping this weekend. Off to the salt mines.

Oh the pain

So, turns out St Michael's has turned the 9am chapel service into children's hour. It was horrific. First, I looked down at one point and there were drops of some type of fluid on the ground. I shudder to think what it could be. There were so many children that flooded into to the aisle for the serman that it looked like the Pide Piper had been playing. There was constant sound. At no point was there silence. I could go on, but it pains me too much.

After church Jon-David and I drove around Lakewood and Munger Place checking out houses. Mostly the whole thing is just depressing.

We went to the musical, Back to the 80's at the high school. It was pretty good. I'm glad I got to go.

School as always has been highly chaotic. Lots and lots to do, not enough time and too many fires to get everything done. grrrrr. I had totally forgotten that I am going to a parent book club tonight until another teacher emailed me. It is set up so that when the English department has a book they would like the community to "approve", it can be handed off to this book club, but they read other books too, and I agreed to lead one of the meetings. This is the first meeting, so I'm going.

Tomorrow night the Cult meets, so that should be fun.

Sunday morning

Survived the football game. (A lopsided game, to say the least. I think the score was 59 to 7 or something like that.) Howdy Dance was fine. Word on the street was that all the drunk children were staying in the middle of the huge pack in the center of the gym dancing. I figured they were probably sweating it alllll out, and if they would stay in the middle, I was willing to leave them there.)

I can't say I accomplished much on Saturday. I went up to school, printed out info on a couple of houses (I'm sure they'll turn out to be a) in scary town b) falling apart c) absolutely fabulous and therefore one of the houses that has a price tag enough out of my range but with no chance of dropping. But, at times like these, I just call my sister Fran, get updated on the chaos in her world right now and feel better about my lot in life.

However still in a bit of a funk, I did go shop a wee bit with Ann. We went to TJ Maxx. I have to tell you that place is scary. The clientele is scary too now that I think about it.

I did manage to get 1/3 of the tests graded, and I had a little dinner with Ann and Mike. Then I went home and crashed. Another exciting evening in the land of the Diva.

This morning I am going to St. Michael's chapel service. I haven't been since the chapel was redone a couple of years ago.

After that, I'll be checking out the neighborhoods of the houses I found, going to the high school musical and then finishing grading. OK, well, don't forget to let me know what is going on in your world people.

Friday: High chance Zen comes under mortar attack

My stomach felt wobbly most of the day. Not like I was going to be violently ill (I'd already done that) just not so great. Today it is iffy because I am wearing the jeans of pain, although I do want to acknowledge they aren't quite as uncomfortable as they were last week. Hmmm, if I eat sushi every third day I could lose 6 lbs a week . . . I like it.

Well, I managed to at least see a couple of houses yesterday. I fell of the front step of one and my pinky toe started bleeding like a stuck pig. That was fun. I don't think I'm ever going to find a house. I'm going to live in the 500 square foot apt with no bedroom until they tear the damn thing down around me.

I managed to get to the grocery store so I have a little food in the fridge.

Monica called me on her commute to pick up The Empress (my niece, Nicole). I realized this morning that she picks her up at 3pm, so on the average day I'll be ripping my hair out staring at my freshmen English students and unable to talk. Crap.

Today is the pep rally (that I have to monitor students at), the football game (again, monitoring students and sadly some adults) and the Howdy Dance (monitoring for drunk students). I can party on a Friday like no other.

Off to the salt mine. . .