I can feel a hot one.

Summer! And, boy, is it a HOT one. Geez, Louise, I'm melting!

So, this summer was supposed to be all about rest and relaxation and work sprinkled in when I choose. Uh ... not so much. I'm taking a class for grad school, which happens to be the one and only grad school course offered in my degree plan ALL summer long! (And you're telling me the recession is ending?! Hmmmmmm ...) The good news is that I am truly enjoying the class. The bad news is that it is every night from 6-8. Yep, that is PM. Cuts into summer fun just a tad, but I hear that earning a Master's is a pretty cool thing to do.

I'm also involved in A LOT of training for teaching. I will be the new department head next year at EHS in ELA (school is all about the acronym - I have learned to smile and nod), so I have tons of commitments as far as leadership and what-have-you.

Speaking of the department head thing ... can you believe it?! After my FIRST "real" year of teaching. I'm pretty impressed. Not necessarily in myself, but that my administration and fellow Englishees (yes, I just made that up) have so much faith in me. It is both awesome and horrifying. Say a little pray for me. I think I might need it once this coming school year kicks off. Teaching, coaching, Master's, AND leading the English department. Whaaaaaat? I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.

Good-ness.

This year has been a very big learning year for me. About myself, about what I can handle, about growing up, about life in general. I think I have probably "evolved" more in the past year than all my other years combined. (That might be a slight exaggeration, but you get the idea.) It's taken me the better part of 29 years, but I think I finally know how to live MY life. You know, the one I want for keeps. It's not been without it's ups and downs, but I think the moral of this year is that everything is falling into place.

I also keep promising myself that I am going to write more. I'm not too sure when I will have the time, but it is certainly on my list. In the meantime (you know, the time like now when I have zero free time), I think I might work on getting some of my older poetry together, writing up a little letter, and sending it off. Why not, right? Right.

I'm also going to "paint." I put it in air quotes because I'm not actually good at painting - I just really, really like it. What I will do with these paintings-to-be, I have no idea. All I know is that I need to get back in touch with my creative side. Might as well ... can't dance. :)

Aaaaaaand ... my Firehouse sub has arrived! Choo-choo! Have a nice evening. I will be in touch soon. Peace and .... stuff.

Nailed it.

Quote of the Day:


Nothing is so stable as change. - Bob Dylan


I cannot express how profound this statement is proving in my life as I type these words. Nothing is so stable as change ...

My life is definitely changing today.

Hoppy Easter, Bunnies!

Good Friday, indeed.

Dad's in town! I haven't seen him in a year and a half. How crazy is that?!

Go home, she says.

If there is something to be learned from life it is to expect what befalls you. Zoe looks forward to the mixture of benevolence and routine and choking lust that added together in the right order and proper amounts might on a dark night, be mistaken for love. She says be nice to your mother. Help her out. Explain the video again, no backchat. Get out in the sun and don't stint when it comes to oil changes and love letters. And always thump a melon's belly for ripeness. She reads that Edison spent fourteen months looking for a suitable filament for the electric light bulb. Many materials, which at first seemed promising fell down under later test and had to be laid aside. She isn't surprised when Shapiro sits down beside her, like they are about to sing a piano duet together, and asks her to marry him. It never comes to mind to say no. He tells her to stay away from technology until things cool off. The next day he comes into the office drunk, dressed for an idea he had the night before. He holds his coat like a bullfighter's cape and attempts to backstroke his way into it. With one arm free to catch himself, he uses it like a wave, then falls to the ground, staring up at her from what she thinks must be his special place in the universe. Go home, she says.

by Andrew Meehan

Spring Breakin'

Lack of chitter-chatter indicates life has been a tad more than hectic of late. Teaching, coaching, and two evening Master's classes. 'Nuff said!

Got back home from San Antonio (track meet) last night around 12 ... er ... 1:30am (time change), showered, and went straight to bed. Woke up and had breakfast with the fam at Aunt Kay's. It was delightful.

The rest of the day has been shopping, laundry, and tidying up around the house. (Things that I truly enjoy and have missed the time to do properly.)

Still working on transferring all of my music from various technologies into my new laptop/iPod. When you have over 3,000 songs in your collection, the process takes a whole lot of time! Not to mention playlists ... oh, playlists!

I plan to spend the rest of the week organizing, catching up, getting ahead, relaxing, running, breaking into p90x (am I insane?!), reading, cooking, and movie-ing. Perhaps a few happy hours somewhere in there, too.

Every Word on Kindle! How could I forget? I plan to log a few hours getting my fix with that as well. Seriously ... talk about some wordy crack for the ol' noggin! Can't put it down.

What else? Too much?

I'll leave it there. A week of no stressing over cut backs, lay offs, lesson plans, copies, research, evening classes, literature reviews, teenagers, alarms, and track workouts. Bring it!

2011

Happy New Year!

I think I'll leave it to Mr. Duritz to express exactly how I feel, as he tends to do so well.

"It's been a long December, and there's reason to believe maybe this year will be better than the last."

Here's to 2011!