I know, I know! It's been a few weeks since I've posted anything. No excuses, I've just not done it. But, I do have some good news! I got an interview for a teaching position in Tennessee :D I'm so excited about it. I can't wait to get down there and impress them with my knowledge and skills! It's at a suburban school district just outside of Knoxville. I've been looking at the area, and it sure looks beautiful! It's far enough away from the Mississippi that we won't get flooded. It's close enough to the mountains that we can enjoy nature :) And most of all, it's NOT in the city!!! I'm so tired of teaching inner city. I want to teach in a school where the kids actually WANT to learn. So, if you're reading this, please say a prayer that the money is right, and that they offer me a high school position, and that we can make a smooth transition!!
On to the complaining....my head is killing me. I have a sinus headache. It is a killer one today. I've already taken some sudafed and some pain meds....ugh...just please make it go away.
Tomorrow, I'm taking off of work. Blondie has a talent show in school, and she wanted me to go. So I took the day off so I can go see her. J has the day off, too. But, instead, he'll be heading out to camp with the golf cart to get everything set up for the weekend. We're going to be going to a pot luck on Saturday, so I made about 50 strawberries filled with strawberry flavored jell-o, and I'm making some carrot cakes. Everyone loves my mom's carrot cakes. They're always asking for the recipe, but I refuse to give that to anyone. My mom made that recipe up herself when she was in her 30's. She never shared it with anyone other than my sisters and I, and we promised that we wouldn't ever share it with anyone, either. It's a family recipe, and it's one of the only "secrets" my mom and I still share, and I'm sorry, but I'm not willing to give that up. I hope people understand my reasoning behind it. I'm willing to share any other recipe I have, except that one. Oh wait, that one and the cream puff recipe, too.
Ok, I'm going to go lie my head down. My head is still killing me, and it hasn't stopped. Think I'm going to take a little rest before it gets any worse. Later Gator!
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
I'm sorry, I just have to!
<----What the hell is this? Seriously, am I the only person in the world who DOESN'T think that Renee Zellweger is ugly? Can you honestly sit here reading this, and look at that woman and consider her to be one of Hollywood's most beautiful people? HOW? I like to say she's got a "perma-lemon" face. AKA---she looks like she's been sucking on a super sour lemon, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! I just don't get how all of America's men (yes, my husband included) considers her to be beautiful. I don't even think she's PRETTY, let along beautiful! And I'm sorry to you, Renee, if you do happen to stumble upon my blog post. I'm sure you're a wonderfully charming woman and all, but come on! Why do you have to have that God Awful look on your face all the time? What is wrong with putting on some spray tan, and showing those pearly whites of yours every once in a while? Not to sound mean, but really....you look like an uber-bitch when you pose like that. You also look like you're trying to hold in one giant, juicy fart! And not offend those with gastrointestinal issues, but really....am I right, or I right?
Whiney Wednesday
1. The weatherman said on tv that it had rained for 23 days STRAIGHT in Toledo. Plus side, the grass is green. Minus side? Can't walk in it because it's all mushy and squishy. Unless you like giving your feet a mudbath...
2. Some people should just make the rest of the world's lives a little easier and just never talk, ever. Period. We don't care about how you hate this place, or how you hate this person, or how you're going to "go postal" if someone says one more word to you. "One More Word." Ooooh, I'm shaking in my loafers! Shut up.
3. Since I'm most likely getting laid off, I've pretty much resigned to the fact that I don't want to get up and go to work in the morning. Why should I put in 100% if they are just going to dump my ass anyway? I'm so over it.
4. While I'm on the subject...do you REALLY need 8 days to fill out two simple little pieces of paper that should take no longer than, oh, say TWO FUCKING MINUTES? I drop these papers off on Tuesday of last week (the 26th) at the admin building. I could have easily just waited there while they filled them out and handed them back to me. But NO...they needed 48-72 hours to get them done. Um, really? How so? But, me and my lack of interest in being in an altercation, I complied. Here it is...(please hold while I do the math) 192 fucking hours later, and you're just NOW calling me to tell me that they're done? WTF lady? No wonder our school district is in dire straights....we have incompetant people like YOU over there mishandling everything. If I had been in that position, you would for damn sure know that I'd have gotten it back to you in a timely manner. That, lady, is just absolutely ridiculous!
5. I feel bad. My good friend has a child with a disability. She's holding a fundraiser to try and purchase an IPad for her son, because he's non-communicative, and because of our financial instability, I can't contribute to it. Hubs' job is very slow, and he's not working all but 4 days a week, and my job is all up in the air with stupid corporate layoffs, that I can't afford to give out money that I know full well, I would be able to use to pay a bill or buy food for my children.
6. Have I mentioned that I can't wait for the next 21 days to be over? I'm just done with the year. I'm over done. I'm like a crispy, crunchy slice of bacon that's been left out on the counter for too long. Yeah, it's that bad. I know you're mentally envisioning it at this very moment.
7. I wish there was a way that our house would sell, and we could just up and move to Tennessee. But-at the moment, I don't see that happening for a long time. That sucks....it really, really does. I hate it here.
8. Three words. Bad. Hair. Day. Enough said.
9. I hate Blondie's science teacher. She's a bitch.
10. I think I wore the wrong kind of panties with this outfit today. Uncomfortable is the least offensive word I can think of at this very moment.
11. Men. Do I need to say more?
12. Pollen, grass, and molds are not my friends. They make my mornings miserable. Go find someone else to annoy you pesky allergens!
13. The receiver on my work phone sticks. So when a call comes in, and I pick it up, I automatically say, "Basta." But what I don't realize (even though I should because it happens EVERY SINGLE TIME) is that my receiver sticks, and the person on the other end of the line can't hear me. It's become an absurdly annoying nuance that I can't fix.
14. I've been thinking a lot about a certain past supervisor for some reason. And I hate her even more so today than I did when I worked for her. I won't wish ill will on anyone, but I won't be sad if I ever hear bad news, let's just put it that way I guess. Might feel sad for their husband and children, but them? Nah.
15. After reading these bullet points I've just typed out, I've realized that I'm a bitter, bitter person right now. And, I'm not really sure why. I guess the prospect of not having a job does that to a person. Fuck. I guess I'll be bitter all summer, then, huh?
2. Some people should just make the rest of the world's lives a little easier and just never talk, ever. Period. We don't care about how you hate this place, or how you hate this person, or how you're going to "go postal" if someone says one more word to you. "One More Word." Ooooh, I'm shaking in my loafers! Shut up.
3. Since I'm most likely getting laid off, I've pretty much resigned to the fact that I don't want to get up and go to work in the morning. Why should I put in 100% if they are just going to dump my ass anyway? I'm so over it.
4. While I'm on the subject...do you REALLY need 8 days to fill out two simple little pieces of paper that should take no longer than, oh, say TWO FUCKING MINUTES? I drop these papers off on Tuesday of last week (the 26th) at the admin building. I could have easily just waited there while they filled them out and handed them back to me. But NO...they needed 48-72 hours to get them done. Um, really? How so? But, me and my lack of interest in being in an altercation, I complied. Here it is...(please hold while I do the math) 192 fucking hours later, and you're just NOW calling me to tell me that they're done? WTF lady? No wonder our school district is in dire straights....we have incompetant people like YOU over there mishandling everything. If I had been in that position, you would for damn sure know that I'd have gotten it back to you in a timely manner. That, lady, is just absolutely ridiculous!
5. I feel bad. My good friend has a child with a disability. She's holding a fundraiser to try and purchase an IPad for her son, because he's non-communicative, and because of our financial instability, I can't contribute to it. Hubs' job is very slow, and he's not working all but 4 days a week, and my job is all up in the air with stupid corporate layoffs, that I can't afford to give out money that I know full well, I would be able to use to pay a bill or buy food for my children.
6. Have I mentioned that I can't wait for the next 21 days to be over? I'm just done with the year. I'm over done. I'm like a crispy, crunchy slice of bacon that's been left out on the counter for too long. Yeah, it's that bad. I know you're mentally envisioning it at this very moment.
7. I wish there was a way that our house would sell, and we could just up and move to Tennessee. But-at the moment, I don't see that happening for a long time. That sucks....it really, really does. I hate it here.
8. Three words. Bad. Hair. Day. Enough said.
9. I hate Blondie's science teacher. She's a bitch.
10. I think I wore the wrong kind of panties with this outfit today. Uncomfortable is the least offensive word I can think of at this very moment.
11. Men. Do I need to say more?
12. Pollen, grass, and molds are not my friends. They make my mornings miserable. Go find someone else to annoy you pesky allergens!
13. The receiver on my work phone sticks. So when a call comes in, and I pick it up, I automatically say, "Basta." But what I don't realize (even though I should because it happens EVERY SINGLE TIME) is that my receiver sticks, and the person on the other end of the line can't hear me. It's become an absurdly annoying nuance that I can't fix.
14. I've been thinking a lot about a certain past supervisor for some reason. And I hate her even more so today than I did when I worked for her. I won't wish ill will on anyone, but I won't be sad if I ever hear bad news, let's just put it that way I guess. Might feel sad for their husband and children, but them? Nah.
15. After reading these bullet points I've just typed out, I've realized that I'm a bitter, bitter person right now. And, I'm not really sure why. I guess the prospect of not having a job does that to a person. Fuck. I guess I'll be bitter all summer, then, huh?
Thursday, April 28, 2011
They say a picture is worth a 1,000 words....
RANDOM PICTURE OF THE DAY. PRETTY MUCH SUMS UP HOW I'M FEELING TODAY!
Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore....
I swear to God, I thought my house was going to fall down this morning! We had one hella storm around 5AM this morning. I get woken up out of a sound sleep from it. The wind was whipping around so bad it sounded like a train outside. I got up and looked out the window and it LOOKED like a hurricane! The trees in the back yard were bending over like hookers! The rain was so hard and so heavy that you could hardly see the road behind our house. It was horrid! I seriously thought my roof was going to rip off. This was just before 5, and dangit if I couldn't get back to sleep. I've been up since then. And the wind hasn't stopped. It's diminished some, but it's still windy! The wind outside my classroom window sounds like a creepy wind you hear in those horror movies just before someone gets knocked off in a murder scene! That "whoooo-hoooooo" type sound. I wish I could record it so you all can hear it!
So, guess what I get to do in about an hour and a half??? I get to meet Nate Washington! From the Tennessee Titans! He's an alumni of the school I teach at, and he's coming back to speak with the male students at our school. I'm so sneaking down there to meet him. It's during my lunch time, so I'll either eat early, or eat later....but I'm not going to miss an opportunity to meet a celebrity. Whether I follow his team or not! I'm going to try and get a picture of myself with him for my nephew, who's a big Titans fan. He'll be excited. Jealous, but excited!
Mother's Day is in a couple of weeks. And all I want is a ticket to see Darius Rucker at the zoo this fall! I absolutely LOVE Darius! Seriously. It's sad. He's all I listen to anymore, basically. I have all his CD's on my Ipod, and I have a station dedicated just to him on my Pandora on my phone. I've even gotten the girls addicted to him. They call him Hootie though, because that's usually what I refer to him as. I've always loved him, actually. I loved him when he was in Hootie and the Blowfish, but I love him even more now that he's a country singer. He's so great. Now....if I can just get the husband to agree to getting me the tickets. I've trained the kids to tell Daddy that Mommy deserves to see Darius for Mother's Day. I've made my status message on FB dedicated to wanting to see him. And I've sent him emails with information on how to get the tickets at a discount! Now, let's all keep our fingers crossed!
~Later Days!
So, guess what I get to do in about an hour and a half??? I get to meet Nate Washington! From the Tennessee Titans! He's an alumni of the school I teach at, and he's coming back to speak with the male students at our school. I'm so sneaking down there to meet him. It's during my lunch time, so I'll either eat early, or eat later....but I'm not going to miss an opportunity to meet a celebrity. Whether I follow his team or not! I'm going to try and get a picture of myself with him for my nephew, who's a big Titans fan. He'll be excited. Jealous, but excited!
Mother's Day is in a couple of weeks. And all I want is a ticket to see Darius Rucker at the zoo this fall! I absolutely LOVE Darius! Seriously. It's sad. He's all I listen to anymore, basically. I have all his CD's on my Ipod, and I have a station dedicated just to him on my Pandora on my phone. I've even gotten the girls addicted to him. They call him Hootie though, because that's usually what I refer to him as. I've always loved him, actually. I loved him when he was in Hootie and the Blowfish, but I love him even more now that he's a country singer. He's so great. Now....if I can just get the husband to agree to getting me the tickets. I've trained the kids to tell Daddy that Mommy deserves to see Darius for Mother's Day. I've made my status message on FB dedicated to wanting to see him. And I've sent him emails with information on how to get the tickets at a discount! Now, let's all keep our fingers crossed!
~Later Days!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
The times, they are-a changin'
So, recently, the husband has decided that we should move. He's (oh hell, who am I kidding, I am too) tired of all the crime and stuff in the city. He hates his job and wants to go somewhere where we can start all over again. I wanted to go back to PA, to the country side and the area that I grew up in. He was having nothing of that. He wants to go somewhere warmer. I wanted to have some snow and winter. So, we compromised. We're going to Tennessee. We've taken out a loan to get the house fixed up and ready to sell, and I'm in the process of getting my TN teaching license. I'm currently waiting on the Autism school that I worked at to get their heads out of their butts, and fill out the paperwork I sent them. The lady on the phone was completely and utterly rude to me yesterday. If I don't get it by Friday, my butt is on her front step on Monday afternoon, MAKING her sign it in front of me. Anyway, got off on a tangent. So, I'm filling out all this paperwork to get the license, and stuff. John's working on the financial aspect of it all. It'll take a good year to get everything where we need it to be, and we can put the house up for sale. I've been looking at jobs online. Seems like there are a lot of them. The only thing I don't like is the fact that it's FARTHER from my father than I already am. I don't like being as far away as I already am, but now we're going to go farther? But, I can't put my life on hold for something that would inevitably change in the future, anyway, you know? I just wish that we could go looking down there this summer, and look for places that we really would like to settle down. We do know that we want to be somewhere where we can have some land....yet close enough to a city that we can drive within like a half hour or so. I'll be happy if there's just a Walmart and a grocery store around. I can shop online if I need to :) So, yeah...that's what I've been doing the past couple of weeks. What have you been up to?
Friday, April 15, 2011
People who inspire me
I've been thinking a lot lately, about how I became me. Not the physical, when-a-man-loves-a-woman becoming me, but what, and mainly WHO, helped shape me into who I am today. I know I didn't just get this way myself. I know that I was inspired, and molded into the person I am. And, I think it's about time to recognize those people.
First and foremost, my parents. If it weren't for them, and the way they raised me and WHERE they raised me, I know for a fact that I wouldn't be who I am today. My parents were the most loving, caring, and supportive parents a kid could ever ask for! Yeah, they were strict. But, I honestly believe that it is because of that strictness that got me through to where I am today. They didn't let me act a fool. They didn't let me up on my responsibilities at home or at school. I was responsible for the outcome of my actions, whether they were good or not. If they WERE good, I was praised for it. If it wasn't good, well, I was reprimanded for it. My mom was always there for me. She was always available for me to talk to, and she very rarely raised her voice to me. If she did, I completely and utterly deserved it. She had my back 110%. And I miss her every moment, of every day of my life. Same with my dad. He is stoic. He is my hero. He was there for me for everything....whether he wanted to be or not. I know there were many a day he didn't feel like driving 70-some odd miles to Erie just to see me twirl my flag in the marching band competition. But-he did it. Because that's what a good dad does.
Mrs. Cummings was one of my high school english teachers. It's because of her, and how she taught us, that I decided to become a teacher. I remember seeing her at my mom's funeral, and I told her that. She didn't seem to understand why I would choose her to be my mentor. Why her? Because she showed me a passion for the language. She showed me how the written word can conjure up so many emotions and feelings from just reading them. She showed me that when I write down my thoughts, that they not only are my thoughts, but conjure up thoughts from everyone who reads them. Well, hell...if it weren't for Mrs. Cummings, you wouldn't be reading my blog right now. Because of her, I learned to love to read and write.
Carolyn Fournier (nee Woughter) was one of my co-op teachers during my student teaching. It's funny, because I think I learned more from her than all 4 1/2 years of my undergrad degree, and I was only with her for four months! She taught me what it was like to be a REAL teacher. She taught me things they don't teach you in college. She taught me that the 2 people you want to suck up to are NOT your principal and department head....but to the custodian and the secretary. "Melody, they can make you or break you," she'd always say. Wiser words have never been spoken! Those are the first people I get in good with when I start at a new school. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't have heat my in classroom, or any of the office supplies I need!!!
In contrast to that, I also had a teacher inspire me to better myself, to prove THEM wrong! I had this math teacher in high school we'll call Ms. F. She was an unmarried, cranky and mean woman. You could just TELL she didn't like kids. I remember her saying to me one time, after I didn't understand a certain concept in algebra, "If you don't get it after the 3rd time, you're never going to. And I'm not going to explain it to you again." It was that particular comment that sent me spiraling into a deep and putrid hated for math, and for her. It was also that statement that made me want to prove to her that I would eventually become a teacher, and one that was better at her job than HER. I think, in a way, she's the reason I became a special education teacher. I hated the way she spoke to me; like I was stupid or something. And I didn't want another child to ever have to hear that. So, I vowed to become that teacher who wouldn't allow their children to fail. So yeah, I guess in a weird and twisted sort of way, Ms. F DID inspire me. She inspired me to be better. She inspired me to be a good teacher, and to love what I do. Don't go asking for me to say thanks, though...because, in the words of the great Rhett Butler, Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn!
I think, besides my parents, my biggest inspiration has been my sister. Sis is my best friend. I would burn bridges, break legs, and take names for her. I can count on probably one hand the amount of times I've actually called her by her real name. To me, she's my Sis. To my chidren, she's "Aunt Sissy." She has been my mentor, my confidant, my friend, and a surrogate parent for me my whole life. I can't even think of words that express what she means to me. Thank you doesn't ever seem enough. She's provided me with a lending ear when I needed it. She's provided me with whatever it was I needed, if I couldn't get it myself. She has been there for EVERYTHING. My high school graduation, my college graduation, my wedding, the birth of my children (ok, not AT the birth itself, but an extremely short period of time afterwards!)...you name it, she was there. She is, and always will be, the one person I will always want to make proud. There isn't anything that I don't do that I don't want her to be proud of me for. Even at 34, I can't seem to shake that. I'm old enough to make myself proud, but I just need to have that approval from her.
So, there you have it. The people who made me, ME! Who inspired you to become who you are today?
First and foremost, my parents. If it weren't for them, and the way they raised me and WHERE they raised me, I know for a fact that I wouldn't be who I am today. My parents were the most loving, caring, and supportive parents a kid could ever ask for! Yeah, they were strict. But, I honestly believe that it is because of that strictness that got me through to where I am today. They didn't let me act a fool. They didn't let me up on my responsibilities at home or at school. I was responsible for the outcome of my actions, whether they were good or not. If they WERE good, I was praised for it. If it wasn't good, well, I was reprimanded for it. My mom was always there for me. She was always available for me to talk to, and she very rarely raised her voice to me. If she did, I completely and utterly deserved it. She had my back 110%. And I miss her every moment, of every day of my life. Same with my dad. He is stoic. He is my hero. He was there for me for everything....whether he wanted to be or not. I know there were many a day he didn't feel like driving 70-some odd miles to Erie just to see me twirl my flag in the marching band competition. But-he did it. Because that's what a good dad does.
Mrs. Cummings was one of my high school english teachers. It's because of her, and how she taught us, that I decided to become a teacher. I remember seeing her at my mom's funeral, and I told her that. She didn't seem to understand why I would choose her to be my mentor. Why her? Because she showed me a passion for the language. She showed me how the written word can conjure up so many emotions and feelings from just reading them. She showed me that when I write down my thoughts, that they not only are my thoughts, but conjure up thoughts from everyone who reads them. Well, hell...if it weren't for Mrs. Cummings, you wouldn't be reading my blog right now. Because of her, I learned to love to read and write.
Carolyn Fournier (nee Woughter) was one of my co-op teachers during my student teaching. It's funny, because I think I learned more from her than all 4 1/2 years of my undergrad degree, and I was only with her for four months! She taught me what it was like to be a REAL teacher. She taught me things they don't teach you in college. She taught me that the 2 people you want to suck up to are NOT your principal and department head....but to the custodian and the secretary. "Melody, they can make you or break you," she'd always say. Wiser words have never been spoken! Those are the first people I get in good with when I start at a new school. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't have heat my in classroom, or any of the office supplies I need!!!
In contrast to that, I also had a teacher inspire me to better myself, to prove THEM wrong! I had this math teacher in high school we'll call Ms. F. She was an unmarried, cranky and mean woman. You could just TELL she didn't like kids. I remember her saying to me one time, after I didn't understand a certain concept in algebra, "If you don't get it after the 3rd time, you're never going to. And I'm not going to explain it to you again." It was that particular comment that sent me spiraling into a deep and putrid hated for math, and for her. It was also that statement that made me want to prove to her that I would eventually become a teacher, and one that was better at her job than HER. I think, in a way, she's the reason I became a special education teacher. I hated the way she spoke to me; like I was stupid or something. And I didn't want another child to ever have to hear that. So, I vowed to become that teacher who wouldn't allow their children to fail. So yeah, I guess in a weird and twisted sort of way, Ms. F DID inspire me. She inspired me to be better. She inspired me to be a good teacher, and to love what I do. Don't go asking for me to say thanks, though...because, in the words of the great Rhett Butler, Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn!
I think, besides my parents, my biggest inspiration has been my sister. Sis is my best friend. I would burn bridges, break legs, and take names for her. I can count on probably one hand the amount of times I've actually called her by her real name. To me, she's my Sis. To my chidren, she's "Aunt Sissy." She has been my mentor, my confidant, my friend, and a surrogate parent for me my whole life. I can't even think of words that express what she means to me. Thank you doesn't ever seem enough. She's provided me with a lending ear when I needed it. She's provided me with whatever it was I needed, if I couldn't get it myself. She has been there for EVERYTHING. My high school graduation, my college graduation, my wedding, the birth of my children (ok, not AT the birth itself, but an extremely short period of time afterwards!)...you name it, she was there. She is, and always will be, the one person I will always want to make proud. There isn't anything that I don't do that I don't want her to be proud of me for. Even at 34, I can't seem to shake that. I'm old enough to make myself proud, but I just need to have that approval from her.
So, there you have it. The people who made me, ME! Who inspired you to become who you are today?
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